Not Exactly Holy Queen
by Elsanna Potato Corner
Summary: Princess Anna of Dunbroch was forced into an arranged marriage with Queen Elsa of Arendelle. [Elsanna, AU, non-incest]
1. Chapter 1

**Prompt:** Arranged Marriage

* * *

Princess Anna felt her palm sting. The slap was apparently hard enough to alert even the servants standing at the other end of the hall. They all looked horrified, scandalous even at the audacity of a foreign princess who dared to raise her hand against the reigning monarch. The monarch who she was supposed to marry in less than an hour.

But she wouldn't be Princess Anna of Dunbroch if she wasn't defiant, be it against a demonic dragon or an evil ruler!

Queen Elsa was frozen, stunned into silence as her cheek burned where her fiancee had struck her. She had simply walked over in hopes of introducing herself before their wedding, and maybe getting a few words in with the beautiful girl she had chosen to be her wife. The portrait Queen Elinor had given her in their last meeting certainly didn't do Anna any justice. Everything from the freckled, sun kissed skin to the enchanting ocean of her eyes was so warm and beautiful and alive, an essence that was unable to be fully captured by the stroke of a brush.

Except... the Princess had been unexpectedly vicious right after Elsa said a simple "hi." As the redhead turned around and registered who it was that greeted her, she raised her hand and dished out a blow so strong that it sent Elsa's head snapping to the side and made her neck ache. Before Elsa could finish her sentence, no less!

"You struck me." It seemed the force of the slap had also smacked Elsa's brain right out of her skull. That would be the only explanation for why she couldn't find anything smart to say other than stating the obvious. Cradling her abused left cheek with a gloved hand, she continued to stare at the fiery Princess in dumb wonder.

"Thank you, I didn't realize that. Did people call you 'Queen Obvious' as well, Your Majesty?"

Elsa blushed at the princess' mocking. Her fiancee, it seemed, was one hell of a feisty woman both physically and verbally.

The Queen couldn't help the faint taste of anger settling upon her tongue. Yes, this was an arranged marriage and she should have expected some form of rebellion one way or another. But still, such a reckless move against a reigning monarch was extraordinarily unexpected.

"It seems we have a few things to discuss." Elsa stated softly. She refused to allow her hurt and anger to take control of her. Instead, she put on a carefully blank mask and resorted to intimidating the younger into submission.

Anna looked so beautiful in the elegant bride's gown with her fiery mane bundled into a complicated bun. However, Elsa felt a spark of irritation as her fiancee huffed and turned her back on the Queen in a wordless display of defiance.

The Queen narrowed her eyes. "Why don't we sit in my office for a bit? We'll have a quick chat before the wedding. I'm sure you have questions." The tone she used suggested that the statement was a thinly veiled order rather than a request.

It was hard enough for Anna to swallow her tears as she cradled a hand to her chest, she definitely didn't need the cold stare of her soon-to-be wife burning into her back too. It had been rash of Anna to lash out like that, but she just couldn't hold in her frustration as soon as she was face to face with the Queen for the first time.

It was the result of having overheard the woman's cursory assessment of her...

" _She'll be a good enough ornament to have trouncing around the castle, I suppose; all that really matters is that we can force Dunbroch's hand in the situation with Weselton and the Southern Isles. Her father, the king, has too soft a spot for her, and any indication that her life may be… unpleasant, should he not comply with our plans, will get him on our side quicker than negotiations would._ "

While the arrangement of their marriage meant Anna couldn't keep herself from being a pawn in Elsa's game, it wouldn't stop her from being a particularly uncooperative one. She stepped back when Elsa moved to touch her, her hands clenching into fists. "Don't worry about me," she hissed, "After the wedding, I'll stay out of your way like the pretty little trinket I am."

"'Pretty?' Narcissistic, aren't we?"

The words flew out of Elsa's mouth before she could stop it. It seemed she's still a bit bitter at being slapped out of nowhere. Strange, because Elsa was usually not one for petty revenges like this, and it's not like she didn't understand why the Princess did that. From Anna's words, Elsa could immediately tell she was no fool and already knew her role in this political marriage.

At the hurtful look on Anna's face, Elsa immediately regretted her little snap.

"Wait, I didn't mea-"

"You've made yourself perfectly clear, Your Majesty. I need to get back to the changing room now. If I'm going to be a pawn, I'm going to be a proud and pretty one deserving the name of Great Dunbroch. I _am_ narcissistic like that."

Anna turned on her heels and walked quickly away from the Queen, who could only stand there and look on with an expressionless face, concealing the growing fascination she was feeling inside.

 _This girl…_

* * *

It was only after the door to the dressing room was shut that Anna allowed a few stubborn tears to fall. She missed the warmth of her family's castle, filled with life and action compared to this… lifeless slab of stone in the middle of the cold nowhere. She missed her headstrong older sister, who had protested the marriage the second it was brought up, and her mischievous triplet brothers. She missed her mother's gentle smile and her father's overwhelmingly funny, protective presence...

It scared her that she was to be nothing but… a trophy wife, something 'nice' -not pretty, she remembered bitterly- to look at while Elsa forced her family's hand into helping with a war.

A month ago, when her Mother had first informed her that she was to marry the Queen of Arendelle, she had cried for days. She had never met the woman, but the rumors surrounding the ruthless 'Ice Queen' certainly didn't endear herself to the redhead. There was little Dunbroch could do besides submit to Arendelle's demand of an alliance and symbolic marriage, seeing how their economy was too dependent on the icy nation. A refusal might spell starvation to her people.

Merida, her eldest sister, had volunteered to take Anna's place in this arranged marriage. But both of them knew their parents would never agree to such a suggestion, seeing how Merida was the Crown Princess and thus needed to remain in Dunbroch to rule in the future. And even if that was not the case, Anna would never allow her sister to suffer a fate in her stead.

And thus Anna was put on a ship, enduring three weeks journey overseas to reach Arendelle, knowing nothing about her fiancee except for her portrait. She felt like goods, not human.

After sobbing for a while, Anna took a few deep breaths to steady herself, then straightened up and walked towards the basin of water. She needed to freshen up, it was nearly time for the ceremony.

 _It wouldn't do to get the dress wet..._ Anna thought as she loosened the confines of her dress and corset, leaving her upper half bare so that she could have the freedom to breathe and not risk damaging the beautiful dress. Taking her hair out of its painfully tight bun, Anna shook it loose and started to brush it, losing herself in the soothing rhythm of her own actions

The portrait of Queen Elsa that her mother gave her depicted a hauntingly beautiful blond woman with icy blue eyes, tall and fair, so dignified in her black and turquoise coronation dress and flowing cape. At least she couldn't complain anything about her fiancee's looks department, Anna absentmindedly recounted. The portrait allowed her to immediately recognize Elsa the moment she turned around at a soft "hi" greeting. The blonde was clad in a formal white dress and purple cape, similar to the design of her coronation outfit. Had Anna not been busy being angry at the Queen, she would have love to admire the dashing figure of the older woman a bit more.

So lost in her own thoughts, Anna never heard the door open behind her, or feel the chill that seemed to permanently follow her visitor as she entered.

Elsa stared at Anna. She hadn't expected to walk in on the girl undressing, it was nearly time for the wedding ceremony after all, but wasn't able to take her eyes off of the hypnotizing view. She just quietly closed the door, watching the half-dressed girl tending to her beautiful strawberry-blond tresses. For a long while, the Queen didn't dare to make a sound.

Eventually...

"You look really beautiful with your hair down."

Startled by the sudden voice, Anna screamed and turned around, crossing her arms to cover her front.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?!" She gave Elsa a death glare. Her cheeks were burning, but she refused to look away.

Elsa shrugged, "I brought you some food. I thought you might be hungry." She held up the tray that contained a bowl of porridge and some chocolate pastries.

" _GET OUT!_ "

"Princess Dunbroch, I… wanted to apologize for my earlier rudeness." Elsa calmly said while setting the food tray down a small table by the window, before looking at Anna's direction again, "That was unbecoming of me as a host and as your future spouse."

"Very moving. Now, _out_!"

However, Elsa appeared unaffected by Anna's fierceness. "At the same time, I would like to remind you that publicly humiliating me is unacceptable. You shall not raise your hand against the Holy Queen in front of her subjects ever again. It's all in your interest to play along and pretend we have a pleasant marriage."

While speaking, Elsa's eyes didn't miss their chance to caress Anna's exposed smooth skin. The cute freckles lightly sprinkled on it only seemed to make the canvas even more inviting.

Anna, of course, didn't miss the blatant leering. ' _Holy Queen' my ass, isn't she just a pervert like a lowly peasant?'_ But Anna decided to hold her tongue this time. She might have no problem being defiant against an evil ruler, but being half-naked certainly demanded her to be a little bit more thoughtful.

"Eat up," Elsa said after a lengthy pause. Her eyes now had found themselves tracing the delicate swell of the younger girl's breasts where they weren't covered by her crossed arms. "I'll postpone the ceremony by another half an hour. But after that, you'll have to come down and marry me." She watched as Anna shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "I promise I will treat you well and you will want for nothing; you just have to cooperate, smile and pretend to be happy for tonight.

Elsa's persistent ogling was taking its toll on Anna. The Princess was quite tempted to knock that smirk off her betrothed, thoughtfulness be damned. Just when she was contemplating how to bring the Queen the most pain, her stomach decided to alert the occupants of the room with a loud growl.

The redhead flushed in embarrassment, ' _Dear God, could this get any more humiliating?'_

Elsa was trying to be gracious and covered her mouth to prevent any snort from being audible. But the visible shaking of her entire frame couldn't hide the fact that she was having fun at the expense of her poor fiancee.

Said fiancee finally had enough, and started walking until she's just in front of the Queen, fury-lit eyes inches away from Elsa's. Elsa was never one to back down from a challenge, and besides, she quite liked the view. Her persistent small smirk growing bigger, she even made a point to lower her forehead as if speaking to a petulant child. "Yes?" she husked, unable to stop her eyes from drifting down. Hmm. Those freckles really did go everywh-

 _WHAM_

The blonde's head snapped back from the force of the blow. She gaped at Anna in disbelief, her hand coming up to cradle yet another ruddy cheek, and bloody hell did it feel sore.

"What? You never said I couldn't lay a hand on you in private." snarked the redhead, her right hand still balled into a tight fist.

 _Definitely feisty._

Elsa scowled at the fact that her soon-to-be bride had gotten the jump on her yet again. The humiliation of allowing such a thing to happen twice within the same hour had certainly done a number on her arousal. Already, the lust was ebbing away.

...For now, at least.

"You would do well to avoid pushing your luck," she nearly snarled, allowing her anger to overtake her, "I will allow your transgressions for today, seeing as you have not yet realized the full gravity of your situation, but you would do well to remember that even my generosity has its limits."

"Generosity," Anna repeated, her voice flat with disbelief. She turned her back on her fiancee-turned-captor, tired of being ogled, and retrieved her clothes to cover herself once again. She steadied her trembling hands with a slow inhale, and closed her eyes. "You really believe that, don't you?" she asked with a humorless chuckle. "You think you're being nice."

"It is not my duty to be _nice_ ," Elsa stepped forward, her feminine voice rumbling low in her chest. "Just as it is not required of me to ensure your happiness. That, my dear, is a privilege entirely dependent on your ability to _obey_."

"Obey." Anna echoed, feeling a pang of resentment in her chest. What was her mother thinking, selling her out to a woman who treated her like this. Like some kind of dog! However as much as Anna wanted to lash out and argue more, she knew that it would be wise of her to shut her mouth now that she had had Elsa's temper riled.

Elsa reached out to touch Anna's bare shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Yes. Obey. You can practice that now by smiling a bi-" When Elsa's hand brushed her skin, Anna's rage boiled over and she spun around and clocked Elsa straight in the nose. Elsa fell flat on her back as her broken nose started to bleed all over her formal dress.

"Don't touch me, you _monster!"_ Anna seethed at her. Elsa sat still for a moment to contemplate her next move, then gracefully stood back up with a horrible smile on her face.

"If a monster is what you think of me, then a monster I will be." And with that Elsa strode over to the half-naked princess and swung her on her shoulder.

The already furious Princess was of course _not_ happy about being manhandled in such a way. She flailed wildly in an attempt to escape the blonde's clutches, kicking and beating her fists against Elsa's back. "Unhand me, you barbarian!" she screamed.

Elsa planted a solid smack to the gorgeous butt positioned so close to her head, her smile transforming fluidly into a devilish smirk when Anna released a very loud shriek and stiffened in her arms. She couldn't see her face, but she imagined the princess's face was a brilliant red.

The Queen marched over to the dresser and tossed her fiancee into the chair.

"Look," growled Elsa as she grabbed Anna's chin to face the mirror. The redhead struggled as much as she could, but with an arm firmly wrapped around her sternum and her chin forcefully grasped in an unyielding hand, Anna was forced to reflect on her miserable plight… literally.

"This is where you are now," continued Elsa, her face as devoid as her voice, smooth and cold.

And it was a sad plight indeed. Anna was only half-naked, but it felt as if her entire soul was laid bare before the whims of this monster to whom she was going to be tied to for the rest of her life.

"And I'll reiterate that as many times as necessary to get it through your pretty head," Elsa continued, a biting chill to her words, "I assure you, I'm _certainly_ starting to question this as well, given the trouble you've caused me thus far."

A tear fell, and Elsa could feel its heat through her gloved hand. Her grip on the Princess loosened, and when their eyes met again when Anna turned around, Elsa suddenly felt the air in her lungs taken away.

Anna's eyes were red, and tears streamed down her warm cheeks. Why did her father agree to _this_ , this, this… cold-hearted Queen?

"Of the five of us, you chose me when nobody asked you to," she whispered. The broken, small voice did its job as Elsa began to feel her anger lessen, giving space to what might have been a slight sense of guilt. But before it could materialize into anything concrete, Elsa felt herself being shoved away and watched the Princess run toward the door.

"I hate you!"

Elsa let out a sigh and covered her face with one hand, feeling the drying blood against the lower half of her face. She iced the bruising area and looked up at herself in the mirror like she had forced Anna to. She certainly… looked like a monster. Face and top bloodied, glacier blue eyes wild, dress and cape wrinkled and askew across her body.

She just wanted Anna to understand that this wasn't a game. It wasn't supposed to be fun nor was she allowed to just get away with her violent actions; justified though they were. Elsa _needed_ the redhead's father's support in this war. And if she had to play a little dirty to force his hand, she would, for the sake of her people.

Even if it meant tying this innocent girl to her for the rest of their lives.

* * *

Anna ran wildly through the castle, just trying to get _away._ As she ran by a drapery, she ripped it off the wall and draped it over her shoulders to cover her immodest state of dress. Because she was still crying, she didn't see the hulking man before she ran right into him. Before she could even apologize, the man had roughly twisted her around, grabbed her in a tight hold, and covered her mouth.

"Ah, now lookie what we have here, a little lost Princess! Prince Hans would be pleased to know that we captured such an important bargaining piece so early in our invasion! Someone priceless to Dunbroch _and_ that Ice Bitch. Now, come quietly or else I will be forced to do something I'll enjoy entirely too much."

Despite the warning she was given, Anna struggled hard, trying desperately to escape the brute's clutches. Her wriggling only prompted the man to crush her more tightly to himself and he locked his arm against her neck in a strong chokehold.

Sensing she wouldn't be able to free herself by force, Anna thought quickly and slipped her eyes closed, making her body go limp in the man's arms to fool him into thinking she had lost consciousness.

"Heh, that was easier than I thought!" Anna heard the man say, "Now...where's the rope…? Wouldn't want her to break free when she wakes u-"

"I believe you have something that belongs to me."

She nearly jolted at the sound of that frosty voice, but managed to keep herself limp to keep up her unconscious facade. Her anger boiled up again at the blonde referring to her as a mere object, but then-

"Or rather...some _one._ "

 _Huh?_

"Are you aware that you are in possession of Princess Anna of Dunbroch?" she heard Elsa continue, voice taking on a loftier tint, "Kidnapping of royalty is punishable by death. So tell me, sir…"

The arms around Anna suddenly jerked at the same time a tinkling sound reached her ears, and something warm splattered onto the fabric of her makeshift robe.

"...are you ready to face Death himself?"

There was no reply.

When Anna blinked her eyes open, she found herself already on the ground. The man she struggled against had collapsed beside her. She looked to the mess she sat beside and her vision cleared immediately and everything just _froze._

It was like time stopped, but the blood, it just.. it just kept flowing. A pool of red spread underneath the man, and almost touched her shoes. Anna could only find it in herself to inch back. She could feel her entire body trembling at the sight. The man just laid there on the ground. He just _laid_ there.

Not a word was said, not a groan was made, just.. _nothing._

Nothing but the multiple thin sharp piece of ice shards that in a matter of seconds disappeared into - again, nothing.

She turned her head and looked at Elsa, who had a hand reaching out to her. Elsa's face remained calm and collect as she asked, "Are you alright, Anna?"

Anna took her hand shakily, her own arm trembling as if deciding whether or not to pull away from this woman who had just killed a man as easily as Anna discarded a pair of worn riding gloves. Quickly, thoughtlessly, with no remorse because that's just what happens. Except Elsa didn't just throw away some tattered leather, she had ruthlessly snuffed out a man's life without a moment's hesitation, and for what? For her?

Once she was sure that Anna had regained some bearing, Elsa quickly let go. She was too familiar with that look of shocked horror, though she couldn't tell why _her fiancee_ wearing that expression makes her feel displeased.

"Do you think so lowly of human life? Do people mean _anything_ to you at all?!"

The Queen blinked. "Ah. So that's what you were so concerned about?"

In hindsight, that was perhaps not the wisest thing to say, especially when one's fiancee is standing right next to a pool of blood.

"Concerned?!" That, to Anna, was probably the biggest understatement of the year. "I'm freaking the hell out! You just _killed_ somebody, Elsa! Do you not have a heart? Or is it frozen by your powers?"

Elsa turned around and walked. But when she realized Anna just stood there, lost and confused, she stopped.

"Well? Are you going to answer me?!"

"Do _you_ value your life at all?" Came the soft voice.

"Huh?" Anna could feel her anger seeping away, only to be replaced by more confusion.

"I said, do you value your own life, Anna. This is not a game. We're about to go to war, do you understand me? They were about to _kidnap_ you. Do you know what they could've done to you? They could've beaten you, sold you, tortured you… done- done dirty things to you." Elsa turned around, and the look in her eyes shook Anna to her very core. She felt she almost couldn't move or say a word at all. Elsa clenched her gloved fists and looked at the pitiful body below. "This… this isn't a game, Anna. People are going to get hurt, they're going to die. And I'm not about to let you become one of them. I promised your father I would protect you, and even though we aren't married yet, I swear to the heavens, with everything that I have, _I will."_

It stunned Anna when she saw them. The tiniest glint of tears in her fiancee's eyes as she turned to glare at the redhead. "You think me cruel, Anna, for forcing this onto you but I am just... trying to protect my people. Your kingdom is known for having some of the strongest warriors on your side of the country and I need that to keep Arendelle safe from our enemies. My ice, powerful as it is... it's unpredictable. I have just as much a chance of damaging my own fleets and soldiers as I do of damaging theirs and I can't afford to let that happen."

"Marrying you gives my people a slew of powerful allies that could help me defeat them with as little risk as possible. _Please_ try to understand where I am coming from Anna. The Southern Isles and Weselton have been relentless and I can't afford to prolong this war anymore. Like it or not, my enemies are now _your_ enemies. I promise to do everything in my power to keep you safe, I promise to...to at least try to be the kind of wife that you deserve but you have to at least cooperate with me! You have to play the role I ask you to play with little fuss, you can't argue with me, and you certainly can't go about slapping me anymore!"

 _SLAP!_

Elsa's head jerked to the side after her face was abused for the umpteenth time that day.

"Y-You struck me, right after I asked you not to?!"

"That was for not explaining a damn word to me this whole time!"

Elsa stuttered for a bit, clearly speechless at the girl's words.

"You slapped me when I was greeting you earlier!" Disbelief written all over her face, Elsa cradled her left cheek and took a few steps backwards, ensuring a safe distance from the ferocious girl. _What girl? That's a lion!_

"That's how Dunbroch women keep their spouse in line," the Princess said triumphantly. "This is the fate you've chosen. You've only got yourself to blame."

It seemed Elsa's sincere confession earlier had done its job, as all traces of distress vanished from Anna's eyes and were replaced with a glimpse of understanding. An impish smirk started to grace the redhead's pretty pink lips. Maybe she wasn't marrying a monster after all. Cold and exact, yes, but not cruel for selfish reasons.

Watching the Queen rubbing her cheek and looking scared and at a loss of what to do, Anna couldn't help but bite her lower lip to hold back a snicker. She doesn't look like a lost puppy at all, nope, especially not after she just killed someone without batting an eye.

Elsa wasn't exactly sure how or why, but despite her anger, she felt helplessly turned on by Anna's confident smirk. _And that lip biting… Oh Skadi!_

Anna gave Elsa's attire a brief once over with her eyes. The white dress was as dashing as ever, but the top was slightly ruined by the small blood stain from the blonde's earlier injured nose. Anna felt a stab of guilt and winced at the sight of it, knowing she was the one who caused it. She turned around on her heels, the drapery that were used to cover her upper body flared around magnificently with her movement. "Don't we have a wedding to attend? Get yourself ready. I don't want to marry someone in a bloody dress," She said before walking back to the changing room in now-confident strides.

The Holy Queen stared at her fiancee's dignified retreat, bewildered by the abrupt change of general attitude towards her and began to seriously wonder what exactly she had gotten herself into.

* * *

 **A/N:**

A word on the title: The Constitution of the Kingdom of Norway (the country which Arendelle was based on) of 1814 states in article 5 that the monarch's person is holy and that they may not be blamed or accused. Hence Elsa is considered a Holy Queen in the legal code even if she didn't have her god-like power. Although her behavior around Anna was anything but holy, and Anna according didn't treat her like one ;)

Participants in this chapter were Liamgrbd, WolfyPuppy7, Nojamhere, the-wandering-quill, Mad-Frozen, Nopantsparade, Squaresrcool, Elsanna-has-ruined-me, CanITellUSmThin. Thank you everyone.


	2. Chapter 2

Elsa, after going to her chambers, washing her face and changing gowns—grateful to Gerda for having had the foresight to have a spare commissioned, left for Arendelle Cathedral.

* * *

When Kai came to collect Elsa from the groom's chambers of the cathedral, he looked upon her and said, "You look beautiful…" as he fought back tears. "Your mother and father would have been very proud of you, such a strong and resourceful young woman. I am deeply honoured to be the one to stand with you this day."

"Thank you, Kai… Gerda and you have been like a second set of parents to me, ever since I was a young girl. I cannot tell you how much it means to me for you to be here." The Queen took a moment to collect herself, fighting back her own tears, then spoke, "Will… will I be a good wife? I know that this marriage came about by virtue of necessity for the kingdom, however I want to do right by the woman I am to marry… and I already feel that I have done a poor job of it so far—having been struck several times for my efforts."

Kai began with a slight chuckle, "The princess is certainly a fiery one, but I do believe you will be a good wife." He continued, "Just keep in mind that a strong, lasting marriage relies on talking through your problems to resolve them, compromise—from _both_ people, and knowing when to apologize when one has done something wrong."

He then walked over to the young Queen and grasped her in a tight hug, which she reciprocated with equal vigor. She said softly, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, "Thank you. I don't know what I would do without you."

They proceeded to make their way down to the pulpit to await the arrival of the red-haired princess.

* * *

Standing before the close to a hundred people gathered in the cathedral, Elsa tried not to fidget nervously under their gazes. Her people were hopeful, chatting quietly amongst themselves. Her ears caught mention of more than a few recalling the day her parents were wed. The visiting dignitaries, on the other hand, were either wary, curious, or a mixture of both.

And there was more than one hostile gaze as well, amidst the crowd.

Yet Elsa continued to maintain her calm facade; the picture of sophisticated grace. Her gaze glided over to the enormous set of double doors at the other end of the cathedral, where her bride-to-be would enter from. As if on cue, the guards standing poised on either side opened the doors to reveal Anna in all of her splendor.

And Elsa's throat tightened at the sadness and resignation on the girl's face, her teal eyes fixed on the bouquet of White Heather held tightly in her hands. She watched as Anna looked up, as if realizing that the ceremony was starting, and her previous expression abruptly vanished, to be replaced with the polite smile befitting of a wedding brought about by an arranged marriage.

The organ began to play, and Anna began her slow deliberate walk up the aisle to join Elsa and the priest at the front of the cathedral's main chamber.

The mid-afternoon sun shone in through the array of stained-glass windows lining the chamber, creating a brilliantly colorful ambiance in the room. Although the spirits of the guests at the ceremony were high, those of the Queen and her bride-to-be had been tempered by the events of the day.

While the princess was making her way up the aisle, Elsa thought to herself, ' _Have I done the right thing, arranging this marriage?_ ' The thought immediately left her when the young princess stepped up across from, and turned to face her. She suddenly felt her heart race at the sight in front of her, seeing the young woman under the cathedral lighting in her wedding dress. It was a cream ankle-length A-Line gown with cap sleeves, square neckline, princess waist and lace detailing. Her hair was once again done up in a tight bun, not a stray strand to be found.

"You… you look _beautiful_ …" the blonde uttered, barely louder than a whisper, but loud enough to startle the redhead out of her own thoughts.

She didn't know how she'd just let that slip out. But she said it, and a blush fell across her pale skin.

Clearing her throat, she looked straight past her, her back straighter than a well polished stick. "That was… well, I spoke the truth," she murmured. Ah, embarrassed, she was.

Anna gave Elsa a tight smile, mouthing a soft thank you before the priest began.

"Dearly beloved…" he started off.

Elsa wasn't paying attention to what he was saying, she was too busy staring at Anna. She genuinely thought Anna looked beautiful, even if the girl didn't agree with this marriage. Elsa mentally shrugged, trying to brush off the weird feeling in her gut. _I want this, I_ need _this. It'll help with the alliance… right?_

As Elsa broke from her thoughts, the priest declared, "To live together as woman and woman is to live in trust and love, to share joy and sorrow, and to faithfully stand by each other until life ends." He continued with further biblical passages of love and devotion for several more minutes, but Elsa paid them no heed, steeling herself for their upcoming vows.

The priest then solemnly intoned, "In the presence of God our Creator and before these witnesses, I ask you, Elsa...Will you take Anna who stands beside you, as your wife?"

Elsa readily replied, "I will."

"Likewise I ask you, Anna...Will you take Elsa who stands beside you, as your wife?"

Anna paused for a few brief seconds, then said, "I will."

"I would ask that you now join hands, and, Your Majesty, please repeat after me," the priest spoke. Once they had joined hands, Elsa rubbed gentle circles on Anna's knuckle with her thumb, and he continued, "'I, Elsa, now take you, Anna, to be my wife, with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.'"

The queen spoke loudly, but with a gentleness that seemed to surprise the redhead beside her, "I, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, now take you, Princess Anna of Dunbroch, to be my wife, with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life."

"Your Highness, please repeat after me," the priest briefly interjected after the Queen had finished saying her vows. Then, he continued much like before, "'I, Anna, now take you, Elsa, to be my wife, with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.'"

 _"Tha mise Banfhlaith Anna de Dunbroch a-nis 'gad ghabhail-sa Bainrigh_ _Elsa de Arendelle gu bhith 'nam chéile phòsda,"_ Anna began in Scottish, then upon realizing her mistake, continued in the common tongue, "with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life."

"In the presence of God and before these witnesses, you have promised each other that you will live together in matrimony, and have joined your hands as a sign of this. I therefore declare that you lawfully are wife and wife," the priest intoned, voice growing louder.

"Now...give each other the rings, which you shall wear as a sign of your vows of faithfulness."

As Elsa slipped the wedding band on the redhead's finger, she spoke, _"Med denner ringen tar jeg deg til ekte."_ As she did so, the faintest glimmer of tears began to well in the corner of her eyes, which she fought back; noticed only by the priest, Anna, and Kai.

If the slip bothered Anna, she didn't show it as she placed the band on the blonde's finger, repeating in the common tongue, "With this ring I thee wed."

The priest then launched into prayer for a few minutes, finishing the ceremony with, "Merciful God, you who have established marriage, and blessed woman and woman, we pray: Let your blessing rest upon Elsa and Anna. Fill them with your love and build their home in peace. Grant them your grace and strengthen them with your Spirit, so that in times of joy and sadness, they may place their trust in you, be faithful to each other and help each other towards eternal life."

He turned to Elsa, and declared at last, "You may now kiss your bride."

The blonde paused for a short moment, unable to do just that. She'd never been with…Well, never had any intimate contact with a royal. Ever. She gulped, watching the redhead grin with a slight sadness hidden behind her smile that only Elsa noticed.

She'd been forced to marry someone she barely knew and then, meeting someone that had called her a pawn. She was lonely, and she needed to rely on her newly wedded wife to find the warmth and happiness she desired. She didn't want this marriage to go to waste just so they could expand their kingdoms and trading agreements.

Love.

Love was what she wanted.

"Your Majesty?" she heard Anna whisper, a hint of confusion in her voice.

Blinking, Elsa allowed herself a smile. "I apologize in advance…for the kiss."

Anna shook her head, that faintly-sad smile of hers widening slightly. "You can do that later, first…kiss me."

Obliging the girl in front of her, eyes slowly closing, Elsa pressed her lips with... _god_ , the softness of Anna's lips beneath hers...Elsa felt shivers running down her back, their kiss deepening with the eagerness and the passion of the redhead—

The queen quickly pulled away, cheeks flushing. She wouldn't be able to stop herself from continuing if this kiss were allowed to escalate further. And when she pulled away, she could see the want in Anna's eyes, however unaware the redhead may have been of it. Her heart skipped at the thought.

"That wasn't so bad, right?" Anna whispered breathlessly. And what could Elsa say that wouldn't betray her speechlessness…?

"No…not at all," the queen breathed in reply after what felt like hours, swallowing hard.

Shortly after, Kai came up to the newlywed couple and interjected, "My apologies for the interruption, Your Majesty and Your Highness, but we must make our way back to the castle in preparation for the party"

Elsa took a moment to let her heartbeat settle so that it did not feel like it was going to jump out her chest. Still endeavoring to recover her breath after the passion of her first kiss with her new bride, she softly replied, "It's alright Kai." She then hooked her arm around Anna's and said, "Shall we?"

The redhead trying to calm her own racing heart responded breathily, "Yes… let's."

They then proceeded to the carriage outside the cathedral, waving to the crowds gathered both inside and out.

When they arrived at the castle outside a private entrance away from the main gates, Kai opened the carriage door to let the women get out. "We shall be making our way to the main ballroom, where you will be formally introduced for the first time as a married couple to the nobility of Arendelle and our guests," he began, a slight smile forming on his face. "You will make your way to the throne, where I shall make the announcement."

Stopping just outside the closed doors to the ballroom, Kai gave the young women a moment to compose themselves. "Are you ready, Your Majesty?"

"Anna, are you ready to go in?"

The redhead, seemingly trying to show more courage than she currently felt, replied energetically, "Y-Yes! I was born ready."

The Queen then nodded to Kai, indicating that they were ready.

Kai motioned to the guards to open the doors, and led the newlyweds to the throne. Once they reached the throne, they turned to face the assembled crowd. "People of Arendelle and visiting dignitaries, I am honored to present...Queen Elsa and Princess-Consort Anna!"

* * *

The ballroom was filled with slow music, and the chandeliers shone splendidly with crystals of light, royals bowing left and right to their fair maiden for a dance which they'd gladly accept or respectfully decline. Servants were running around, bringing out delicious food and satisfying the incoming nobles. You could say it was a mess, but it was handled quite well.

While the ballroom was in full swing with entertainment, the newly wedded couple sat next to each other in the front, on their royal thrones, watching the fun with smiles across their faces. They were quiet, and neither of them knew where to begin.

"I hope you are satisfied being here with me," Elsa started, turning to her redheaded bride, who gasped at the sudden voice. "I'm sorry, did I startle you?"

"Oh, no, no! I mean, of course… I'll be satisfied… If you treat me with your utmost respect. As well as I would too, Snow Queen."

Elsa chuckled, "Of course. But… nobody has ever called me Snow Queen for a long time, I'm surprised you're calling me that now." She looked straight ahead to the crowd of dancing nobles. Slowly she took a sip of her wine. "But I'd call you that as well, considering the multiple slaps you've given me—"

"You're never going to forget about that are you?"

Elsa shrugged, twirling her wine glass. "Well, it was definitely a sight to see. I've never gotten such… well, a vulgar introduction from my wife." Anna blushed, seeing Elsa's smirk and her playful eyes.

Anna folded her arms together. "Vulgar? Considering you were the one who called me a pawn—"

"It was necessary, and I absolutely did not mean it."

"—you don't have the right to call my palm against your face vulgar."

Ah, not even an hour after marriage, and they were arguing. Anna wondered what would have happened if they had met differently; how everything would've changed nicely, and no push and pull would be given.

Elsa sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "Do you really want to argue in front of all these people, Anna?"

"If you really want it, then yes, I would love to, Your Majesty."

* * *

Truthfully, arguing in front of their guests was the last thing Elsa needed right now. It took some effort, but she managed to calmly set her wine glass down on the armrest of her throne, rising to her feet as she did so. Managing a tight smile, the queen turned to face her redheaded wife, extending a hand and fighting the urge to retaliate to Anna's sarcastic remark.

"Shall we go properly greet our guests?"

Socializing, apparently, seemed to be Anna's strong suit with the way her face immediately lit up at the suggestion. Elsa stifled the sigh of relief threatening to spill free from her lips, though it was doubtful Anna would've heard her anyway as she grabbed the queen's hand, leading her along into the crowd.

The threat of war seemed to overshadow even the most lighthearted of conversations, the majority of which centered around the incoming hardships, but the nobles took care to put on their best smiles when the newly wedded couple approached. After all, it was bad taste to talk of one's personal matters in front of the royal house unless specifically asked after.

At least in Arendelle, anyway.

Anna of course, didn't give a whit and happily gossiped away with the ladies, dragging more than a few gentlemen into the fray with a few cleverly-barbed strikes at their ego. The general tipsiness probably helped. Elsa was content to stand by her wife, her mind miles away as she mentally reviewed her priorities, a number of which were now shifting due to her success in marrying the princess of one of the most battle-hardened nations in the world. She was abruptly brought back to earth by a loud bellow from a belligerent guest, who no doubt had more than his fair share of wine if the ruddy look and alcohol-laden breath were any indication.

"Aye, Dunbroch may be the most powerful warriors on land, but on Berk our ships be our pride, and you'll find not a better army at sea," he proclaimed proudly, his enormous belly barely a foot away from Anna. Her diminutive stature seemed laughably small in comparison, but she didn't budge an inch, her eyes matching fire for fire as she shot back at him.

"Those wooden tubs can't possibly hold up to the Southern Isles' modernized fleet. The only reason you vikings have any land to claim at all is because no one else wants it."

A hush fell around the small circle gathered around the two at Anna's words.

"What do you mean by that, lass?" the man asked, squinting his eyes at Anna. "You're not some sort of spy, are ye?"

"No, of course not!" Anna retorted. "Why would I be? I don't even like the Southern Isles. Gosh, that Prince Hans, he is not a good man."

"Anna!" Elsa whisper-shouted, gaining the redhead's attention. "Shush," she snapped, giving Anna a stern look. The queen cleared her throat and turned to the drunkard, "If you'll excuse me, my new wife and I would like some privacy, please."

The man glared at the two women, swaying left and right.

"She's a...She's a feisty one, I'll give 'er that," he said, his words starting to slur a bit more. "But 'ey, y'know that...proposal of yers?"

Elsa stiffened, her eyebrows slowly drawing together as she warily met the man's gaze. Her focus had returned, and she realized now that this 'drunkard' was actually Chief Stoick of Berk—a nation well-known for their crafty fighters and formidable navy. Rumor has it that they even had _dragons_ under their command, though no dragon had ever been sighted for the past thousand years. Every part of her was tense at the recognition of the man before her, ready to use the Ice Queen persona she was so infamously known for if this took a turn for the worse.

"Yes? What of it?"

"Consider it accepted," Stoick growled, "This'll show yer lass that Berk's got what it takes t'deal with those southern pansies."

The queen didn't say anything, instead gripping onto Anna's arm with a fair amount of strength. She managed a slight grin and nodded to the…fine gentleman. The redhead seemed to realize what she'd done, but still with her rather feisty mouth as the... _gentleman_ had called her, she replied to him, "Well, thank you for accepting the proposal...but it seems like you don't like it, considering your tone."

"Anna." The blonde glared at the girl, watching her huff with her arms crossed together. Elsa had never seen someone—someone _royal…_ a princess!—act with such disrespect to someone with a nation of strong fighters. She could even draw war between Arendelle and Berk!

The man clicked his tongue and growled, wanting to say something before getting interrupted with the queen bowing her head down. "I apologize for my wife's behavior…It's been…a rough day on her, so please spare your breath on her."

"H-Hey—"

"Now, please excuse us, I must…" Elsa glared at her wife. "I must have a talk with my wife." Without waiting to hear another word from any of those gathered, she grabbed Anna's hand and quickly dragged her through the crowd of royals, who were either bowing or greeting...and possibly murmuring insults about her and _to_ her.

She felt Anna flinch in her grip—her hand was probably too cold if the slight tingle of her powers humming in her fingertips was of any indication. "H-Hey, let me go! Where are we going?!"

Elsa didn't say anything, too angered to even reply to the redhead's obnoxiously loud voice.

It didn't take long until the voices of tens of royals become a soft whisper and they were walking through the dim hallways, the moonlight shining through the windows to light their way. Arriving at Elsa's room, the queen quickly threw her inside and slammed the door. Judging by how much her wife's eyes had widened, Anna didn't expect this—never expected Elsa to be so rough and forceful, even if she _had_ been slapped multiple times that day.

The blonde leaned against the door, hands behind her back and forcing down the guilt at such a rough handling. "You do not embarrass me in front of these people, you hear me?" she murmured, teeth grinding against each other.

Elsa watched as Anna crossed her arms, glaring at her. "Well, the man agreed to whatever it is you wanted him to, so—"

"An alliance with Arendelle for the war," the blonde ground out once more, her hands clenching into fists behind her back. She could feel the ice hissing across her skin at her anger. "An alliance which could very well fall apart _anyway_ if you continued to antagonize Chief Stoick as you did."

Anna stared at Elsa for a few minutes, face displaying disbelief. "Have you...never talked with a viking before?" Elsa blinked at the bizarre question and frowned at her new wife.

"Oh course I have, I've been trying to get Chief Stoick to join our cause for months now." She responded stiffly. "Frankly I don't understand how he agreed with you when you've been nothing but-"

"You don't get anywhere with vikings using flowery words and fancy politics, Elsa." Anna cut her off with a raised brow and a slight twitch of her lips. "They are a rugged, simple people so they prefer a style that reflects that. Papa taught us that when you want a favor from a viking, you question how well they can do it. They'll prove you wrong and rub it in your face more often than they would be outright offended. Especially when they are drunk." Anna smiled. "I wouldn't have been so brash as to outright insult someone with potential dragons at his back while we're already at war if I didn't know it would work in getting him to help us."

Elsa looked at Anna with shock, "You know how… to talk with… vikings?" Elsa was in disbelief. This fiery redheaded girl knew more about vikings than she did. Elsa usually prided herself with her knowledge on many things. She was able to convince almost anyone to join her in a matter of minutes, except when it came to the vikings. The vikings were a tougher, much… harder type of people to convince to join her alliance. "It… it took me months to get them to join, but you… no, I don't believe it." Elsa forced a smile, looking at the redhead. "You're just messing with me, aren't you?"

Anna looked at Elsa, flabbergasted, "No I am not! I might be a bit feisty, but I am no liar!" Anna glared at Elsa, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Why would I do that? I don't like the Southern Isles, I want to see them destroyed."

 _Destroy…_ Elsa thought. "Do you think it's that easy to… well, simply, 'destroy' the Southern Isles?" the queen asked, slowly stepping forward and closing in on the girl. "Such a crude word, and yet...you still seem to fail to understand that just wanting to 'destroy' the Southern Isles...isn't so simple." They were just a millimeters away, yet neither of them flinched at the feeling of their breaths puffing against each other's flushed faces.

"W-We were talking about vikings a moment ago, now we're talking about that stupid—"

"That 'stupid' kingdom, you say, is strong. They have their own allies, too. And with that, we don't _just_ have the Southern Isles to deal with in this war." Elsa straightened herself up with a huff, looking directly into her wife's eyes, fear flitting briefly across those teal pools. "Now, if you'd like to come out and apologize—"

"Did you not listen to what I've just said, earlier?!" And with that, the fear was gone.

"I'VE HEARD!" the blonde yelled. "But this is my kingdom… and I'm the Queen. So you will have to listen to what I say, and there will not be any consequences."

"There _will_ be if you're being so formal to those Vikings! They don't _need_ formality!"

"Several people have already witnessed you actively insulting Chief Stoick—it is for _their_ sake that you should apologize," Elsa retorted, eyes narrowing. "If word gets out that my newly-wedded wife is picking fights with our allies, what will my people think? Where will their hope and confidence go?"

* * *

 _Hope? Confidence?_

Anna let out an exaggerated huff. "God, you people! You take offense over everything! Politics are so much simpler back in Scotland."

She shook her head slowly and looked away from her wife, afraid she would do something rash. She was getting tired of this game...how one minute Elsa could look at her like...she was the world's most precious gem before treating her like an uneducated barbarian the next. "Listen, if I apologise, that makes us look weak to Stoick. It makes me look like someone who can't back up her own words and thus, he loses respect for the both of us. Why would he fight for someone who apologises for trying to defend their kingdom?"

"This isn't _about_ Stoick anymore, this is about the rest of our allies wondering if they can still trust us—trust _me_ —after you insulted another!" Elsa persisted, jabbing an accusatory finger in Anna's direction. "Vikings make up but one facet of Arendelle's alliance against the Southern Isles, and I can't afford to lose any of the others."

"So have your...your...servant, the man with the belly—"

"Kai? My _housecarl?_ " Elsa corrected through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, that man! Why don't you have _him_ issue the apologies instead?" Anna snapped, her own eyes narrowing. "In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what he's doing right now, anyway."

* * *

Elsa took in a sharp breath. She glared at Anna, clenching her fists. "I don't care if he's apologizing right now, _you_ have to do it too. Under my command, you're going to apologize to the Vikings." Elsa said through a clenched jaw. "If you do not obey my orders, I will not hesitate to…" She trailed off, not really sure what she would, or could do, to the new Princess-Consort.

Anna realized this and smirked, "Or you'll what? Just because you're the Queen, doesn't give you the right to punish someone who won't 'apologize'. Please, _Your Majesty,_ if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to the party."

Elsa couldn't believe this. Anna was so...stubborn! So pig headed and blind to the dangers of what she could have inevitably caused with the other guests. She didn't need a riot on her hands over this. "Yes," she ground out, "I do mind. We will be retiring so you don't cause any more trouble and you will be writing a public apology tonight and announcing it tomorrow."

"Like hell I will!" Anna shot back, marching over to the door before Elsa could stop her. The slam it made as her wife exited would've been heard all over the castle if it wasn't for the party's own din, and the queen faintly wondered how it hadn't fallen off its hinges with such a forceful action. She sighed heavily, moving over to one of the windows and staring out at the multitude of ships docked along the harbor, each flying different colors.

And each a force to be reckoned with, should they turn against her.

* * *

"Argh! I don't understand her at all!" Anna fumed, hitching her skirts a little to help her move faster down the hallways back to the party. So consumed was she in her frustration that she didn't notice the other person heading her way until they both bumped into each other.

"Sorry, I wasn't—Oh! Hey, you're uh...you're the housecarl, right?" Anna asked, recognizing the portly servant standing in front of her.

"That's correct. My name is Kai, Your Highness," he said, bowing slightly at the waist, "Do you know where your wife is?"

"Well… I sort of just stormed out on her," Anna admitted. "She wanted me to make some apology I don't need to make." Anna shrugged. "I really don't see the point in it, especially since I know more about Vikings than she does."

"Well, Your Highness… you sort of… how do I put this lightly? You sort of caused a commotion."

Oh.

Anna stayed stupidly quiet, despite the fact that she knew, Vikings weren't so easily to be dealt with, with just fine political words. She glared, turning around to look down the hallway she had just stormed through. She almost expected her wife to show up at the other end of it in an instant, trying to coo her kindly, and say that she was wrong. Oh, but the stubbornness of this cold woman! The stubbornness of both of them!

This marriage was heading nowhere if these two had to act like this with such childish behaviors towards one another.

But Anna knew how much of a child she was. She'd always gotten her way before this time and never once had she been screamed at in such a way.

"Your Highness?"

The redhead blinked. "Oh, right… um… I guess you should go get her then? I don't feel like getting her at this moment."

"Of course."

Anna sighed and looked down at her feet as the servant continued on his way, "I guess I should apologize." She raised her head and stared down the moonlit hallway, glaring at nothing. "No, I am not going to apologize for something I know more about than her. The commotion is probably something about someone being too drunk." She humphed and crossed her arms. "I am not apolo-"

"Anna?"

Anna tensed up and slowly turned around, seeing the blonde walking towards her.

Kai was at her side, a small frown on his face. He whispered something into the queen's ear before hurrying back the way Anna had originally seen him come from, passing them both to presumably head back to the party.

"I assumed you would have been back at the ballroom by now," Elsa's quiet voice drew her attention, and Anna turned her head away, nose in the air.

"There are too many hallways in this castle. Do you honestly expect me to know my way around after a single day?" she scoffed, still angry about earlier.

A tired sigh reached her ears, followed by the swishing of fabric as Elsa resumed walking. "I assumed you would have familiarized yourself with the route when I brought you to my room," the blonde said as she passed Anna, and the redhead noted curiously that the queen had her arms wrapped around her middle, shoulders hunched to her ears.

"H-Hey! Where are _you_ going?" she asked as Elsa continued on her way, apparently not waiting for her.

"I'm going to check in with the guards while Kai announces to our guests that I'm retiring for the evening," the blonde answered, her voice flat and not even bothering to slow her pace as Anna began following after her. "You're free to do as you like. Retire as well, rejoin the party, go for a stroll...it doesn't matter to me."

Her voice held more than a touch of bitterness to it, but Anna chose not to remark on it, especially since Elsa seemed to be leading her back to the ballroom anyway. That painting certainly looked familiar from when they had rushed out earlier…

"Really? It doesn't matter?" she couldn't help but goad, noting how Elsa's shoulders stiffened even more at that.

"It doesn't. You're an independent agent capable of exercising your own will, obviously. You should enjoy your wedding day as much as you can," the queen said, voice carefully even, and something about the _way_ she said it gave Anna pause.

Anna didn't like it. As if Elsa retiring for the evening—so early as well—meant that the wedding was exhausting. A burden. A nuisance. As if Elsa never wanted to get married but was forced to for the sake of her kingdom.

Music and the din of a multitude of voices reached their ears, indicating that the party was nearby. After turning the corner, Anna spotted the doorway leading into the ballroom, where the festivities were still in full swing.

Elsa continued on her way, ignoring the merriment within her reach.

It was almost haunting the way her wedding dress shone in the moonlight coming in from a nearby window, and the light cast from the ballroom. Her pale skin looked even paler, and her blonde hair looked almost white.

If the party was Life, Elsa looked like Death.

Anna's throat went dry at the comparison, and she swallowed hastily. "I-It's your wedding day too, you know," she found herself calling out, hesitating outside of the ballroom.

Only then did Elsa stop in her tracks.

"I know," the queen said softly, and there was that lilt again that had Anna second-guessing everything. "I know...but this would be the best time for an assassin to sneak through our defenses. You wouldn't want a repeat of earlier today, would you?"

And no, Anna honestly wouldn't.

"But they failed already. They wouldn't be stupid enough to try again so soon," she found herself arguing. Why was she even arguing? She finally got Elsa off her case—she should be making the most of it! So why…?

"Enough."

One word, cold from her frozen heart, bitter like her eyes, Anna's back arched straight from the chills of those two syllables. Goosebumps filled her arms and hair stood up like an army commanding just from her voice. Her blue eyes were quite enlightening, and swinging her head back slowly, her back straight and proud like a rightful queen of Arendelle… well, like her father.

"One more word," she muttered, and Anna swore her world was shaking with her trembling whisper—a threat, "about what I did… and you—"

"And you'll what? Kill me?" Anna wasn't scared. She was terrified. But Anna knew better than to let her guards down and get torn up by her Queen's threat.

Elsa flinched and closed her eyes at the word 'kill'. "No… I won't," she sighed and continued down the hall, footsteps echoing through the starry night and the distant music in the ballroom. "Do what you will. If you want to leave…" She stopped herself, taking a clear look into Anna's sturdy expression. "... If you want to leave… I won't stop you."

There was a slight pause and everything silenced down to a whisper for the moment. As if they were in the dark, together, in their own little world, and the words echoing around them repeatedly like flies. Anna just didn't understand… Didn't understand the kind of person Elsa was.

Anna nearly backed away in fear—no, in rejection. Never in her entire life had she been rejected before. And to have this beautiful woman to—dang it.

"W-What? Why would I want to—"

"Because I'm a monster." No. "I was…" She turned back, bitter eyes from before turned into vulnerable, scared blue eyes. Elsa couldn't even look at her wife, a hand covering her eyes because that was where they showed all her weakness… Everything. Like an exposed nerve. "I was something that…" A big breath and she looked at her, ocean blue filled with tears. "I don't want to hurt you like how I did with… with that man."

With a blink, Anna's heart cracked. Maybe just a little. "W-What? No, He tried to kill—"

"It may not seem like it, Anna, but I have a heart too… I'm a person—a special kind of person. I… I'm not as cold as you people think I am. I like helping people, but I… I get scared. I should've… I should've just…"

The redhead frowned. This wasn't the girl who she was married to. Never this… sad and unsettled. Broken. Manipulated. Brainwashed. Anna still stayed quiet, knowing that she could not say anything that would soothe Elsa. She was shaking, arms quickly crossed around her body like it was the closest thing she could hold onto to.

Looking down like a defeated puppy, the supposedly strong Queen… as people say she was, sighed and turned her back to Anna and walked off.

For a moment, Anna could only stare after her retreating form, ethereal in the moonlight. The day had been a whirlwind of activity and emotions from the very start, violently tugging her from hot to cold to hot to cold to hot to…to…to...

 _Cold again,_ the redhead thought, lowering her gaze to the wedding ring comfortably fitted on her finger. It gleamed beautifully in the cool light of the moon seeping through the windows and the warm light edging from the ballroom.

The marriage was never going to work at this rate. It was falling apart at the seams before it even really began; the two fighting nearly every time they spoke with one another. Anna fiddled anxiously with the band on her finger at the thought. She knew, deep down, that she was being difficult. Her actions before the wedding, the spat with Stoick—as well-intentioned as that was—and even her attitude and arguing towards apologising to the Viking. Anna knew she was acting like a brat.

But this was hard for her too. The way Elsa spoke down to her like a child who knew nothing, the constant whiplash in moods and just...the entire situation in general had Anna's nerves on end at all times and if there was one thing she inherited from her family, it was a quick temper and the stubbornness of a bull when angry.

Even so...Anna remembered the tenderness and fear in Elsa's eyes when they were at the altar, the gentle way she spoke to her then, and found that she genuinely and full-heartedly wanted this marriage to work as much as possible.

So with a soft sigh, she turned on her heel and walked back towards her changing room to give her new spouse—and herself—some much needed space and quiet time to think.

* * *

Distancing herself from Anna and anyone else she might happen to run into, Elsa locked herself away in her study, forgoing her earlier declaration of checking in with the guards despite what she had said. A good portion of the stress that collected within her muscles waned once she was safely alone inside the room, and only then did she finally remove her arms from their protective placement around her upper body.

Walking towards her orderly desk, Elsa worked her hair free of her bun and then sagged defeatedly into the chair situated behind the desk, dropping her head into her hands and exhaling loudly. She tiredly wondered what she was going to do about her new, fiery handful of a wife and the giant mess she found herself in.

Her anger at Anna's complete and utter lack of tact back in the ballroom had already ebbed into little more than a mild irritation. With her mind clear of its earlier fury, Elsa conceded that an apology would not be...completely necessary. It would be preferable, of course, but if what Kai had informed her concerning the inebriated states of many of the guests that had seen their display was true, then…

"Then I'm working myself up over nothing," the queen muttered into the silence of her study.

 _No...not 'nothing'. It's just...not the worst case scenario. I'll still have to put forth a gesture of good faith soon while they're still in Arendelle for the festivities, but...they won't leave over this. They won't...declare war._

Or would they? She sincerely hoped not because she really was not in the mood to have another war on her hands, especially when she was already battling an admittedly intense one with her recently acquired hot-headed wife.

Somehow she needed to amend the volatile state of her brand new marriage. Perhaps if they actually sat down and chatted civilly for once instead of going at each other's throats every time they were within distance of each other they might come to understand one another better.

Elsa sighed. At this point, it seemed like a daunting task...Anna unfortunately knew how to push most of her buttons and clearly, she knew how to push Anna's in return. Still, Elsa had made this bed...she might as well lay in it and at least try to make this work.

...But not now. Elsa was too drained to even think about having another confrontation with the feisty redhead. She would sleep in her old chambers for tonight...let her new wife have their new, shared bedroom privately. The second Elsa's thoughts turned to resting, she felt her eyelids grow heavy. Sleep sounded wonderful right about now…

 **Participants for this chapter: Cyrianu, wolfypuppy7, The Wandering Quill, iamrotting, squaresrcool, Nojamhere, CanITellUSmThin**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey, guys! GUESS WHAT? Double update! Soo check out chapter two before you read this one! :D Kay? Kay!**

" _You could be happy, you know."_

 _Anna giggled at that, plucking another flower to finish the flower crown resting in her lap. "Happier than I already am?" she asked, throwing a cheeky grin at the blonde sitting on a stone bench nearby. Blue eyes twinkled, crinkling at the corners as those lips twitched into a smile._

" _You don't seem happy."_

 _Those words seemed so at odds with the smile on the blonde's face, and Anna's grin faltered, her grip tightening slightly on the flower crown in her hands. "Elsa...?"_

 _The garden they were in quickly grew darker as clouds covered the previously sunny sky. Rain began to fall, pelting harshly against Anna's skin as she hastily stood up, bangs already plastering to her forehead. Lightning flashed above and thunder rolled as a fierce wind picked up around them, causing the redhead's skirts to ripple around her legs._

 _And through it all, Elsa kept smiling, sitting there on that bench with her hands folded in her lap as if it were still a calm, sunny day._

" _Elsa, what's going on?" Anna demanded, glaring at the queen while attempting to shield her face from the onslaught of rain and...ice? Snow? Sleet? The flower crown was ripped out of her hands by the gale, and she immediately turned her head to see it flying away into the eye of the storm descending upon them. She turned back to face the queen, braids nearly hitting her face from the wind, and the redhead almost screamed at the sight that awaited her._

 _For Elsa wasn't sitting on the bench anymore. Instead, her kidnapper from before sat there_ — _shoulders slumped, red holes decorating his body and clothes like roses, mouth parted with blood streaming down the sides, and eyes that were dead dead_ dead dead **dead** —

" _You should be happy," the corpse before her spoke, bloody mouth curling into a grin. "I'll find you again. The Ice Queen can't be around forever, and I'll find you."_

 _He lurched to his feet, and Anna screamed, stumbling back to put more distance between her and her dead kidnapper. She tripped in her haste, and landed on her rear._

 _And suddenly, the man was_ right there _; the blood from his mouth dripping onto her boots. She could see her terrified face reflected in his lifeless eyes._

" _I'll find you."_

 _The words didn't come from the corpse crouched over her, but instead echoed from seemingly every direction_ — _sounding like a multitude of voices speaking at once._

" _I'll find you I'll find you I'll find you I'll_ —"

* * *

Anna's eyes flew open, and she shot upright in her bed, a hand immediately darting to her chest. Her heart beat frantically beneath her palm, and the pounding in her ears was so loud, so strong, she could barely hear herself gasping for air.

Instinctively, she reached out with her free hand for something to comfort herself, as she always did after a nightmare in her old home. Upon feeling nothing but cold sheets, her stomach sank and she felt the urge to be sick as the memories of last night came back to her. She had walked into the room she was supposed to share with Elsa...only to find her wife absent. She went to bed alone, expecting for Elsa to maybe join her later…

One look on her new wife's side of the bed told her that wasn't the case.

Anna curled into a ball, hugging her legs to her chest and quivering as tears started spilling down her cheeks. If she was back home, she would've gotten out of bed to find comfort from her family but she wasn't...She was alone in a large, unfamiliar castle and the only one she could potentially turn to probably wanted nothing to do with her at this point. She whimpered softly and bit her lip to stifle the sounds.

The sound of the door being opened suddenly reached Anna's ears and she stiffened in panic, the words from her dream echoing ominously " _I'll find you"_. However the gentle shifting of a dress and the sweet chime of the ice decorating the bodice indicated who it was in the room with her.

 _It's just Elsa..._

The queen didn't seem to notice that Anna was awake, for the redhead heard her mutter something under her breath, followed by a heavy sigh. There was more swishing of fabric as the blonde moved further into the room. Anna chanced raising her head a little, peeking slightly over her shoulder to see Elsa open the closet of their room. The blonde was still garbed in her wedding dress from the night before, albeit severely rumpled, but it still looked just as beautiful.

Her cheeks began to redden as she watched Elsa reach her hands behind her back to undo the laces, and it wasn't long before the queen's bare back was exposed before her eyes. The heat on her face grew at the sight of that creamy expanse, and only grew further as the dress was unceremoniously dropped to the floor, leaving Elsa only in her undergarments. Anna tried not to inhale sharply at the sudden sight of the corset and the queen's shapely buttocks, confined in a pair of sheer pantalettes that left little to the imagination.

She shouldn't be looking. She _really_ shouldn't be looking without permission.

 _But I'm...I'm her_ wife _now, aren't I? I_ should _be allowed to look, right?_ Anna reasoned to herself, the heat on her face nearly growing unbearable when the queen bent down to pick up her dress from the floor. Elsa moved to hang it up in their closet, and she found herself captivated by the gentle sway of the blonde's hips with every step.

At least her nightmare was little more than a distant memory when faced with how scandalously clad the supposed Ice Queen was right now…

Elsa lazily flourished a hand, weaving trails of frost in the air, and the heat in Anna's face began to ebb at the sudden sight of the queen's magic. Her first encounter with it had been when that man tried to kidnap her, so it was...a curious thing to see something so destructive used for something so...beautiful.

 _Or maybe it's the other way around_ , she couldn't help but think as the blonde began creating a dress made of ice with her magic, leaving her shoulders bare, but covering her arms in sheer material. The ice trailed down, concealing the corset in a glittering bodice that caught the faint rays of light from the dawn seeping through their curtains, and covering the rest of her bottom half in flowing ice.

Anna half expected the queen to add a train of ice to complete the look, but judging by the way those shoulders drooped, Elsa must be too tired to add any more. She watched as the blonde turned away from the closet, revealing a slit in her dress that reached mid-thigh and exposed a pale leg. Her hair was free of the bun it had been in earlier, captured in a braid that hung over her left shoulder. The queen's bangs framed her exhausted-looking face, and Anna felt a twinge of guilt at the sight.

She had never been in charge of the kingdom—that had been her parents' job, not hers. And her older sister Merida had been bred as heir for _years_ , not...not Anna.

How was she supposed to know what that was like? The weight of an entire kingdom on your shoulders? Alone?

Anna licked her dry lips to wet them, calling out softly, "Elsa…?"

The queen turned around, seemingly astounded to see her wife awake so early in the morning. She probably had the impression that Anna would be waking up in the afternoon, and, well...that wouldn't be too far from the truth. Usually. Sometimes.

"Anna?"

Anna grinned weakly, the nightmare still leaving her with a bad taste. "Hi," she mouthed, before clearing her throat, "Um…you look good."

The queen blinked and seemed to notice where Anna's eyes were as the ogled her body—Anna felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment at having been caught while Elsa's turned the slightest bit pink as well.

"Ah…I…sleep like this." Elsa looked adorably flustered having Anna's eyes roaming over her body like she was actually touching her in places that she couldn't begin to imagine. Anna nodded and giggled weakly.

"Yeah, that's…it's pretty."

 _Sexy. Erotic._

The silence was deafening and neither of them knew how to begin. An apology? Casual talk? How about a good morning?

The memory of the morning came rushing back, and Anna's eyes blurred with tears—fearful tears, and she held her arms together because it was the only thing she could do to feel warm. The only contact she'd have, if Elsa didn't want to hold her. She sniffled, slowly turning her back to the surprised, worried queen, who she glimpsed standing stupidly in place. A whimper of fear escaped from Anna's lips, and even covering her mouth or biting her finger wouldn't stop the tears from falling; her heart pounding; her suppressed cries echoing through the room.

Not even a moment later, she felt the bed sink beside her, and fingers began tentatively running through her red—as messy as it was—hair.

"Is something wrong?"

Elsa's voice was soothing, and soft like a feather. Anna found herself relaxing into her touch, a hand slowly running up and down her back reassuringly. Though she couldn't answer the blonde's question, she was able to nod.

Sighing, Elsa laid down completely on her side, arms carefully draped around Anna to hesitantly hug the poor girl. "I'm sorry for last night," she whispered against her back.

Anna shook her head, lifting the blanket up to wipe her tears. "I-It's not that…I…I had a…" The redhead shifted around to face her wife, but couldn't bring herself to look her directly in the eye. Not after what happened in her dream. She felt Elsa tighten her embrace slightly.

"Anna...speak up, please? I'll do what I can to comfort you."

"I-I had a nightmare. A-And he was going to…f-find me…k-kill me and I—" Anna didn't get to say the rest as she was being hugged even tighter than before, Elsa's chin resting on top of hers.

"It's okay," she heard her whisper, "I'm here, Anna."

Anna looped her arms around Elsa's waist, pressing her wet face against the crook of her neck. God, did Elsa smell wonderful. Mint, perhaps. Pine and winter.

"Anna, it's okay...I'll be here, so...so cry as much as you want."

Anna did just that, pressing closer to the queen. She was scared…scared of the unfamiliar land she had been forced to come to, of the unfamiliar woman she had been forced to marry, and of her almost-kidnapping by an unfamiliar man. She was too stressed and having to wake up after a nightmare...Crying and wheezing was the last thing she needed to experience. But it didn't seem as bad as before, because...because Elsa was there, hugging her like how her mother would after a bad dream.

"Anna."

Elsa pulled away for a second, gently taking Anna's wrist and holding it against her cold cheek, forcing her to finally look up. "I'm very much real right now, see?" The queen grinned, and it was possibly the most wonderful grin Anna had seen from her so far—the widest grin Elsa had given. "I'm here. You're not dreaming anymore."

She stared up at blonde, fingers hesitant to caress the cool skin beneath them, but eventually gave in. Her thumb brushed against freckles so light, she had never noticed them before. "Y-You're here?"

Elsa nodded, her grin shifting to a small smile that seemed more fitting for her. "I'm here."

Anna's hand that wasn't on the blonde's face was suddenly cradled between Elsa's, the gloved digits brushing lightly over her knuckle. "Come with me for a moment," Elsa murmured, giving the hand a gentle tug as she stood. A look of confusion graced Anna's face, her brow furrowed, before she stood on shaking legs as well.

The smile never left Elsa's face as she turned and started walking, Anna following along like a puppy. "Where are we going?"

"I know just the cure for nightmares. My mother used to make it for me," Elsa answered. "Trust me, you'll enjoy it."

It didn't take long for the two women to end up in the kitchen. It was dark and empty, sending a small chill down Anna's spine before Elsa detached herself from the redhead to light a few of the candles and start rustling through drawers and cupboards to gather ingredients and dishes for her surprise.

"Where are the servants?" Anna decided to ask in lieu of anything else as she sat down on a nearby wooden bench, watching the queen at work. It was...strange. Seeing royalty performing something servants would usually do. That's not to say that Anna hadn't done it before—she had, actually!—but Elsa had seemed very similar to her mother when it came to being queen and the duties and expectations that came with it.

"Still sleeping, most likely," Elsa answered as she began placing the ingredients and dishes on the wooden table in the center of the kitchen. "The sun is just barely peeking over the horizon, and I gave those not tasked with looking after our guests the day off after how... _busy_ , last night was." She paused, aiming a frown at the door they had entered from. "Although...I wouldn't be surprised if Kai and Gerda are awake at this time."

"Kai...the housecarl, right? Who's Gerda?" Anna asked, trying to sift through her memory to see if she had met such a servant before.

"Gerda used to be my nanny when I was a child." Elsa responded, pouring a generous amount of milk into a bowl before placing it onto the fire. She then scooped out a few cups of a ground, brown powder and added it into the milk before stirring the mixture. Anna watched curiously from her seat. "She's also the head servant here. I trust no one better with the upkeep of the castle or to keep the other servants in line." She lifted a small spoonful to her lips and took a sip before shaking her head and dumping another cup of the powder in.

"Oh." Anna played with a wayward strand of her hair as she watched the older woman work. "Why don't you ask her to do this then?"

"Because I'm the only one who knows how to make it the way mother did." Elsa's lips twitch into a sad smile. "Gerda comes close, but she makes it too watery and the other servants can't get it down at all most of the time."

"What even is it?" Anna sniffed the air and perked up at the familiar, sweet scent. "Is that chocolate?"

"Yes, it is. The finest hot chocolate in Arendelle your taste buds will ever have the pleasure of tasting," Elsa said proudly. Thoroughly stirring the bowl's contents a few more times, she tested it once more to make sure it came out right before humming satisfactorily. "Perfect."

Anna couldn't help it.

She giggled at the look of utter satisfaction on the queen's face—the way her features had softened, eyes closing briefly, lips twitching into the most genuine smile she'd seen since arriving in Arendelle. Even more than the one back in their room not long ago.

"That good?" she found herself teasing, managing a smile of her own as those eyes opened to stare pointedly in her direction.

"Of course," Elsa huffed, almost looking offended that it would be anything _but_ , and Anna felt her smile growing slightly.

Now _this_...was a woman she wouldn't mind being married to.

She blinked, surprised with herself at the thought.

Her surprise turned into another giggle as a mug was suddenly thrust into her hand. The Queen had a slight hint of a blush on her pale cheeks and her eyes were unable to meet Anna's. "Here. This should help," she said softly, almost sounding sheepish. It was actually kind of endearing seeing Elsa like this.

She took the mug with a soft thanks and took a small sip, almost moaning as the smooth, creamy hot chocolate made her taste buds tingle at the exquisite taste. "Oh my—" she breathed, teal eyes gleaming. "This is the best thing I've ever tasted!" She took another, much larger gulp and shivered in delight.

"I'm glad you like it so much," she heard Elsa say, and Anna didn't need to see past her mug to know that the blonde had a smile on her face again. A moment later, she felt a presence by her side as the queen came over to sit next to her...maintaining some distance, of course.

"Look, I...I'm sorry about earlier, when I got snot all over you," she said, lowering her mug and wincing at how much of a mess she had been back then. "I just..."

"Tell me about your dream?" Elsa prompted softly, and Anna snapped her mouth shut at the unexpectedness of that question. Or rather...at how concerned and curious the blonde sounded. There was no hint of judgment or condescension in her voice—only…

Understanding.

 _Elsa...must get nightmares too._ Anna brought her mug back up to her lips, taking another sip to give her strength. _I...shouldn't be surprised. With her powers, and how she killed that man_ —

A bloody grin flashed through her mind, and she shivered again, though for a different reason than before.

"If you don't want to—" she heard Elsa begin to say, but Anna shook her head, cutting her off.

"We need to start _talking,_ right?" the redhead said, hoping her voice didn't sound too shaky, "That's what my mother always says now, after my older sister accidentally turned her into a bear once. And especially since we're married, and all, that's...that's what people do, right?"

"It would be infinitely preferable to slapping, yes," the blonde mused, and Anna turned her head to glower her way. A faint smirk greeted her, though Elsa's eyes betrayed her own desire to see this marriage—to see _them_ —work. "You'll have to tell me that bear story some other time."

Anna blinked, momentarily taken aback by the comment. "O-Oh. Yes, yes...of course. Sorry, I just…" She swallowed past the lump threatening to form in her throat. "I just...don't know where to start."

The Queen's eyes drifted away from Anna, and the redhead noticed a sense of vulnerability in her posture for a moment.

"Sometimes starting at all is an accomplishment of its own," Elsa responded quietly as if her own nightmares seemed to be dancing across her vision.

The redhead stared, maybe for too long, that she was seeing the soft side of Elsa. _Scary_ , she thought. After seeing her powers—dangerous, powerful, yet beautiful—she never thought the Queen with the power of Ice and Snow, would be looking so distantly and… maybe, nostalgically?

"You… had nightmares?"

Elsa nodded. "Often times it was just flashbacks. But yes, nightmares. There's not much now as opposed to my teenage years. But, this is about you, not me." She stared, sternly and caring. "Tell me about them."

Anna didn't want to. She didn't want to make it seem like it was Elsa's fault and she absolutely never thought it was her fault. She looked down to her chest, avoiding worried eyes. But because Elsa was so open to her right now, welcoming Anna in her arms and her touches, she wanted to tell her everything. Anna quite liked it—this side of Elsa who was at least, a little open, a little intimate.

The older one listened and waited patiently when Anna cried, took a long, deep breath, and even having her touch and stare as much as she wanted.

"I'm sorry that I—" Anna frowned, knowing exactly what she was going to say. So she mocked her in her mind. 'Oh, I'm sorry that I yelled!', 'I'm sorry that I was being a meanie!', 'I'm sorry for teasing you about the slaps!' Blah, blah, blah. Anna didn't want to hear it.

"It's not your fault, Elsa."

"I know," Elsa grinned slightly. "But it's my fault that… I left you alone. I shouldn't have; I should've been there for you. It was our wedding night, of course."

Wedding night.

 _Our_ wedding night. Not yours, or mine, but _ours_. Somehow, that little confirmation that Anna wasn't alone made her burden a little lighter, a little easier to bear. She was _her_ wife. After a few more calming breaths, she began to share what happened, taking care not to make it sound like she was blaming Elsa. Which she didn't. Even if she did manage to slap her multiple times.

"We were sitting together in a meadow, and everything was fine. Well, more than fine, it was like everything was...perfect."

Elsa hastily wrestled down a quirked eyebrow that had arisen automatically at Anna's description, but the redhead had already seen it. She had been so concerned with the ominous terror that her nightmares had left that she had forgotten all about how pleasantly it started, and with whom. Anna cleared her throat, determined to continue smoothly even though she could feel the warmth in her cheeks.

"The weather was really great, and there were flowers!" she blurted out. So much for smooth.

"And I was making this flower crown for—"

 _For you._

"—for...for my mother! Yeah, my...my mother," Anna said, praying she didn't sound as nervous as she felt under that inquisitive gaze. "She did that for us all the time when Merida and I were younger. It's not as heavy as a real crown but it looks just as pretty and…"

 _And you said I didn't seem happy._

"The weather suddenly changed," she continued, shivering at the memory and bringing her mug closer to her, seeking the drink's comforting warmth. "The sun vanished and there was a storm. My flower crown got ripped away and it was so _windy_ and hailing...I looked back to where you were sitting, but you weren't there."

Not even the warmth of her mug could fight back the chill that crept down her spine at the image of her kidnapper's bloody grin and lifeless eyes.

"Instead...that man from yesterday was there, and he was...he was still bleeding everywhere."

"Anna—"

"No, let me continue…" Anna gulped, body shivering out of fear. "A-And he was… you disappeared and he was in your spot… repeating the same words over and over again. 'I'll find you, I'll find you, I'll find you, I'll find—"

The weeping girl immediately stopped, feeling Elsa's embrace against her body. The warmth spread out like angelic wings, shushing Anna to her full silence and coziness. The mug of hot chocolate was warm on her palms, but what was even warmer… what felt even better than a few gulps of hot liquid flowing down her throat and giving her this feeling, was Elsa's arms around her. Her scent was light, and her breathing was soft. Anna loved it.

"You don't have to continue," the blonde whispered. "I get it… you're scared… terrified, but I'll protect you. See?" She pulled away slowly and lifted her hand. Fingers gracefully danced in circles in the air and little flakes of snow twirled around her fingertips. It was magical.

"Elsa…" She stared, eyes following the trails of sparkles flowing towards her delicately. One landed on the tip of her nose, immediately melting to a droplet of water.

"I'll protect you," Elsa grinned. "With this dangerous—"

"Beautiful."

"— _condition_. I can take out hundreds of people if you want me to."

"But you wouldn't?" Anna's eyes still followed the lively flows of whiteness. They were going around the kitchen. Ah, like they were actual children, perhaps.

"I wouldn't."

There was a pregnant pause and then Elsa's lips formed into a thin line before she continued carefully, watching her magical flurries floating in the air, "I wouldn't… do it without reason, I should say."

Anna let a tentative smile graced her face. "I believe you." She said softly, only the faintest bit surprised by her own words and the fact that she actually did believe Elsa. She rested a gentle hand on Elsa's arm and leaned back against her, fluttering her eyes closed and just letting herself relax against the blonde.

"Careful," she heard the blonde gently admonish, "You wouldn't want to spill the rest of your hot chocolate now, would you?"

This was...nice. This easy talking between them. _Well…'easier', probably,_ Anna thought as she took another sip from her mug, nearly finishing it, but wanting to savor it for as long as she could.

They slipped into a comfortable silence after that, broken only by Anna's quiet sips and the faint hints of birdsong coming from one of the kitchen's windows. The sky was still mostly dark outside, but she could see the dawn growing stronger. _Mother probably wouldn't believe me if I told her I can be awake this early,_ she couldn't help but muse, her thoughts drifting to the brown-haired woman in question and the rest of her family.

Anna's lips curled downwards into a sad frown as she lowered her mug to her lap, her mother's tight smile flashing through her mind and her father's reluctant voice ringing in her ears.

"Hey...Elsa—"

She was interrupted by the feeling of a head coming to rest heavily against her shoulder. A slight turn of her own head confirmed that the queen had apparently dozed off, and now her blonde hair tickled at Anna's cheek. If she listened closely, she could hear Elsa's soft, steady breathing.

 _I wonder...did she even sleep at all last night…?_

Anna's frown deepened, and she set her mug down on the edge of the bench, reaching her newly-freed hand towards Elsa's face.

She gasped and jolted in place when an eight-legged critter descended from the ceiling and dangled inches away from Elsa's peacefully slumbering face, the very tips of its many legs barely tickling her skin.

Reflexively, Anna raised her hand to slap the offending creature away, but she realized doing so would likely result in her striking Elsa… again. Wanting to avoid that issue, she instead blew hard against the invisible thread holding the spider in place. The wind effect caused the spider to lazily drift safely away from Elsa's face, which allowed Anna to swat it across the room without harming a hair on her wife.

Crisis averted, Anna allowed herself to relax and just enjoy the feeling of another warm body cuddled so close to her side, sliding her arm around Elsa's back and resting her cheek against Elsa's head.

She didn't move when she heard someone approaching the kitchen, content with remaining right where she was for the time being.

A chuckle reached her ears, followed by a, "Well...it certainly looks as if you've tired out our poor queen."

Anna nearly jumped at that, turning her head to the doorway and spotting a rather plump woman standing there, smiling kindly at them both.

"You two must have had a very productive night after you retired from the party to have the queen in such an exhausted state," the woman said, winking suggestively.

"What?" Anna's face warmed considerably when the servant's meaning became clear to her, the blush spreading throughout her entire face and reddening her ears. "But I-I, I mean we-we—That's not—" she stammered stupidly.

The woman waved her hand to calm the princess. "There's no need to deny it or go into explicit detail, Your Highness. Just knowing you two are getting along _so well_ after everything is enough to know for me."

She walked further into the kitchen, grabbing an apron from one of the many hanging on hooks nearby and tying it around her. The servant began humming under her breath before pausing in her steps, turning back to look at the bewildered redhead. "Oh, heavens...I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I?" She smiled warmly, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'm Gerda. A pleasure to formally meet you, dear."

 _Elsa's...nanny, right?_ Anna mentally shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Oh! No, no...the pleasure's all mine!" She said hastily before biting at her bottom lip—one of her nervous habits. "And we didn't—That is to say, we didn't...actually _do_ anything last night."

The nanny blinked and waved it off. "Oh, I'm sure you didn't, you retired so soon so I assumed you two were in a rush to get down to—"

"No! Not that!" She suddenly felt Elsa squirming on top of her, face rubbing against her neck. Her face was getting redder, from the oblivious nanny and the woman who was moaning towards waking. Anna didn't want to wake her up. Maybe she wanted Elsa to embrace her more, or maybe… she didn't want to hear them talk about something that the both of them didn't _do._

Anna took a deep breath, a hand caressing Elsa's back. "W-We didn't… well, I guess I should say, consummate."

"Oh?" Gerda was surprised. "So you didn't, I'm glad."

"G-Glad?"

Gerda leaned herself against the edge of the table, smiling fondly at the princess. "Elsa… well, I guess I should say, Her Majesty, is a nervous girl. She has brought other girls in before, but she told me before. Having you here, makes her nervous. A good nervous, I mean. She's happy."

Anna internally frowned for a moment. The prospect of other girls before her seemed to conjure up quite a _green_ feeling in her...

But then again...that was to be expected, right?

She was the Queen, after all. She could get anything she wanted, whenever she wanted it. She could have someone… even if she had a wife. Anna looked down to the sleeping girl. "Do you think she would… you know, be with someone that's not me, if I'm not fitting for her?"

Gerda made an unpleasant moan. "Your Highness, Elsa might seem like that type of girl, but she's faithful."

"Really?"

"She wouldn't be sleeping on you, if she really doesn't like you."

"She didn't sleep with me yesterday. She was doing things… all night and she's only here now."

"Well, maybe she just wanted to give you space. Did you two argue?"

Anna remained quiet. It wasn't just one argument. It was two, three… however many times they argued and every time, someone had to get slapped in the face. This was their own personal matter, but this was Gerda. Elsa's nanny. A guardian. Her guidance. Maybe she could be Anna's as well. She looked up to the middle aged woman.

"Just… do you think, it's right to be called a pawn… and say it's for a reason and not mean it?"

Gerda blinked. "Did Elsa call you that?"

"Well, I kinda eavesdropped…" Anna chuckled nervously, her hands wrapped around Elsa's thin waist. She held her tightly, scooting her up against her if the Queen was slipping off. "You know, when Elsa was having a meeting of some sort…"

"Hm… I'm sure she has a reason behind it. Are you worried that Elsa is really going to use you?"

"Well I… I don't know her enough to trust her just yet."

"Well then, I guess, you should start trying to get to know her. I've taken care of Elsa ever since she was this small." She held a hand to her hip. "Her whole world fell apart when she figured out she had this beautiful power in her… that she couldn't control."

"This power...has she ever used it to hurt anyone before?" Anna asked cautiously in case the older woman found offense to the question. Gerda simply raised an eyebrow.

"Only in self defence." She responded calmly. "Of course, there were times where it ran out of control as she was growing and caused a few slips and falls but those stopped all together once she managed to gain more control. I can assure you, your Highness, that Elsa would never use them to harm you or to scare you into something you don't wish to do."

Learning these little details about her wife from someone who raised her since she was young was interesting and gave Anna a bit more perspective into Elsa's life. She wondered about the queen's time as a child, and how hard it must have been for her during the years she was unable to keep control of her powers. Did she have anyone to turn to for comfort in her time of distress besides Gerda or her parents?

The thought of Elsa being so young and possibly having had nobody to turn to caused Anna to feel like her heart was being ripped apart. Looking down at her, so quiet and peaceful while wrapped in her arms caused Anna to hug the blonde tighter into her own body as a small frown grew on her face.

Seeing this, Gerda smiled softly and said, "I'm glad she has found somebody like you… so gentle and caring. Please, be good to her. She has had to grow up so fast after the passing of her parents, made all the more difficult by trying to get her powers under control at the same time."

"I-I will…" Anna began, "she… our start was… less than pleasant, for both of us." Her face shifted quickly to one of fierce determination. "She deserves to be happy, and... I need to make amends for my actions yesterday."

"I'm sure you'll be able to. Do you want to wake her up?" Gerda chuckled. "She seems heavy."

"O-Oh! Um, no, actually… she's really light," Anna blushed, nudging her lap up and hands wrapped around the sleeping beauty's waists to situate the girl on herself securely. "I think I can carry her."

Gerda nodded, looking down to the ground with her eyebrows crossed. Anna could sense it-the worrisome in her expression, the care she had for Elsa. "She's light, because she doesn't eat properly, Your Highness." Anna blinked. Ah, she recalled that Elsa hadn't eaten anything, except a few sips of wine-which was hardly anything that would satisfy her hunger. But it was expected… or Anna had the impression that the girl was so pale and skinny was the lack of protein and nutrition. But she also knew, as well, Elsa's first priority was her kingdom. She couldn't be bothered with anybody or anything.

The redhead stared at the Queen, her hair tickling her freckled cheek. "I'll... make sure she eats," Anna whispered, and she wasn't sure of Gerda could hear her. It was more… well, as if she was directly talking to Elsa.

"Take good care of her, Your Highness."

"I will."

Anna pursed her lips in thought, her wife's weight so light as to register little more than a comforting warmth as she carried her to their bedroom. Gerda lead their way through the castle, seeing as how the redhead had yet to familiarize herself with the intricate passageways. The soft glow from the lantern was the only light that illuminated the halls, the trio's footsteps the only sounds were just a few hours earlier it had been bursting with song and dance.

Everyone else had already gone to bed, to sleep off the wine and festivities. _Everyone but Elsa_ , thought Anna guiltily. It was just a silly dream, one that she could've dealt with on her own with a nice cup of tea and some biscuits. In the early morning. That was hours away. She'd probably spend that time crying her eyes out. Huddled under blankets and too terrified to move closer to the fireplace until the sun broke through. Really, it wasn't that big a fuss.

The redhead sighed as she admitted to herself that Elsa had been most timely with her support. She wasn't quite sure how they viewed dreams here, but back in Dunbroch, she had been taught to respect their meaning, even if it wasn't understood.

 _If so...then what did it mean?_

Anna bit at her lip in thought as she walked.

She knew the world had magic, considering her wife had displayed her own ice powers in front of her the day before. Could this dream be a portent of some darker form of magic, or perhaps just a warning that the Southern Isles and/or Weselton would continue to come after her to get to Elsa?

She just didn't know… But, she decided that once she had a chance to talk through some of the more glaring issues with her new bride, she would talk to her about this as well.

Upon arriving at their chambers, Gerda opened the door for Anna so she could more easily get Elsa into the room. Anna gently laid Elsa down in the bed and brought the covers up over her. She then bid Gerda a quick goodnight then made her own way back into the bed as Gerda quietly shut the door behind her on her way out.

Still feeling slightly unsettled after the nightmare, Anna slid over and wrapped her left arm around the waist of the other woman from behind, nestled her face into the other's back and quickly fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.

* * *

Elsa woke, feeling as refreshed and rested as she hadn't before. She was tempted to catch a few more minutes of sleep until she realized she couldn't quite feel her left side. Well, no, more like she couldn't move it freely. The blonde glanced down, a bushy mass of red hair inches from her face. Elsa blinked. Then blinked again.

She tilted her head down, stiffening in silent shock about two seconds later because her wife let out an almighty snore that also managed to showcase her magnificent molars.

The queen was stuck. She had to go prepare for her meeting with Stoick, but if she were to move now the redhead would probably wake up and the ensuing bumbling conversation that would undoubtedly pursue was something that Elsa wanted to avoid until they were ready.

 _You mean never_ , snarked her more honest side. Which was true, Elsa knew she could give as much as she got in strategic meetings or political debates, but when it came to personal matters, she would just as likely run as ignore the situation altogether until it devolved into the sort of debacle that she could foist off onto her less fortunate subordinates. But she couldn't do that to her wife. Who was still snoring rather loudly against her shoulder. Perhaps if she were to gently…

 _Come on, Elsa...you can do this,_ she coached herself, using her free hand to hesitantly reach up and…

The hand paused.

 _No, I...I can't._

She swallowed past the dryness in her throat, and…tapped lightly on Anna's nose instead of gently shaking her shoulder.

The slumbering redhead in her arms mumbled something, and Elsa's heart thudded loudly in her chest when her wife shifted a little in response.

Teal eyes slowly cracked open, but it was the scent of jasmine that made itself known, the source so close and warm.

Elsa froze, unable to do anything that didn't involve outright chucking her wife out of bed when the redhead burrowed even deeper into her side, mumbling quiet half-thoughts like, "too early" or "five more minutes" or "you're so warm".

The last one had the blonde subconsciously holding Anna tighter.

When was—when was the last time someone referred to any aspect of her being as warm? Always, people, even her parents, feared the harsh cold of her powers, and yes, Anna's acceptance of her magic could be a mask, but something as sure as the sun rising in the east told Elsa that the redhead truly did not think her a monster.

Elsa ran her fingers around Anna's back, unaware of the refreshing grin she had on her face. She'd never smiled so much in one day. Maybe this was one of the beautiful magic, marriage was doing to her. And even though Elsa hadn't began to feel her heart beating rapidly, as to falling deeply in love with Anna, well… This could be a start.

Anna snored, drools dripping down her gaping chin. Her mumbles were getting more distinct and clear. "Chocolate… Is awful." The redhead grimaced and so did Elsa, frowning at that statement.

"Chocolate is not awful," Elsa huffed, puffing her cheeks to a pout.

"Chocolate is not…" Anna repeated, the last word becoming silent and she mouthed it. She giggled like a little kid who'd just came to a wonderland full of sweets. "Elsa is not awful…"

The queen was confused, raising an eyebrow. She was tempted to wake Anna up now, but… She was curious. "Elsa is wonderful… Even if she doesn't believe that… She's wonderful… And nobody can say otherwise…"

Elsa had never been complimented like this before. She was surprised, scared, even, because she knew for a fact that she was the opposite of wonderful. She was dangerous, boring, nothing that Anna was. Well, Elsa had been complimented many times, but they were never genuine. They weren't meaningful. But so was Anna's sleep talking! Just… Her words gave her some reassurance… Something that she could feel so proud about because someone knew what kind of person she was. Many just saw her as a queen. A witch. A monster. An introvert who could hardly make a conversation without the awkwardness looming over them.

But Anna. This girl only saw her as a person.

Elsa reached her hand up once more, and managed to properly give her wife's shoulder a gentle shake, teal eyes slowly opening in response to her touch. Anna smacked her lips a few times, and the queen fought the urge to brush a strand of her red hair that was caught in the corner of her mouth.

"Mm...Els...a? 's too...too early…" her wife mumbled, eyelids drooping even as she pulled back a little to throw a groggy frown her way.

Elsa found herself smiling at how grumpy the girl seemed to be in the mornings-a thought she couldn't help but file away for later. "Anna, I have a meeting to get to," she said gently, more than a little surprised at the hint of teasing in her own voice. "I would appreciate it if you let me go."

"Dun...Dun wanna…" Anna sleepily protested, trying to glare, though it mostly looked like she was attempting to see something on her nose with the way her face scrunched up before relaxing back. "I tol'...I tol' ya...b'fore...Y'dun need tah...tah apolog...apologize...tah those oafs…"

Quite frankly, it was adorable, and Elsa couldn't help the chuckle that fell from her lips. "Anna, I'm going anyway."

Shifting her body, Elsa gently moved Anna's arm off her side and moved to sit up in order to get out of the bed. "You're free to sleep in if you would like, Anna. After my meeting, I have some work to attend to in my study, then we can have lunch together."

"Alr.. alrigh'," the redhead sleepily murmured, her arm curling in against her chest around the blanket.

Elsa proceeded to gather her clothes for the day - a pale blue mid-calf length gown, with a matching jacket, and dressed behind the changing screen. She then quietly made her way out the door towards her study, where she was to meet Chief Stoick.

Upon entering her study, she sat down at her desk and gathered the treaties for the pending wartime partnership with Berk. While she was doing so, there was a knock on the door.

"Your Majesty," Kai began from the other side.

"Come in, Kai."

He then opened the door, and continued, "Chief Stoick is running a few minutes late this morning. He seems to have had quite the evening last night…"

"I'm sure he did. Everything here seems to be in order, but could you please have some coffee and breakfast brought up for us?" the Queen asked, careful not to chuckle at the comment.

"Certainly, I shall have that sent up immediately." Kai replied, before excusing himself.

Elsa couldn't help but feel relieved that Stoick was going to be late. It gave her more time to prepare herself for what she was going to say to the giant of a man. Would he be angry when he walked through those doors? Would he remember what Anna said and call off the agreement due to the insult? She shuddered at the thought. Though she ultimately forgave Anna for the brash words from the night before, she still worried about the outcome now that Stoick was sober and alert.

She fiddled with the papers in her hands, trying hard to banish the worrisome thoughts away. She would deal with the consequence if it came down to it but it wouldn't do her any good to linger longer than necessary. She sighed heavily and lifted her head high, straightening out her posture and putting on her mask as a knock sounded on her study door.

Before Elsa could even call for him to enter, the door swung open with a loud bang, causing her to jump a little in her seat. Chief Stoick stood in the doorway, garbed in the metal and furs she was more used to seeing him in. His cheeks weren't ruddy from drink like last night, at the least, though the broad grin on his face certainly took her aback.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" he all but bellowed, swaggering into the room with his steps falling heavily on the floor.

"Yes, that is me," she blurted out unthinkingly, fighting valiantly to keep a blush from rising to her cheeks at such an obvious statement. The viking leader settled into the chair before her, and she resisted the urge to wince at the brief shriek from the wood sliding harshly against the floor.

"I see that wife of yers is already workin' on ya," Stoick chortled, shoulders drooping a little as he relaxed into the chair that suddenly seemed much too small for him. "I like her. Reminds me of my own Valka with that feistiness of hers."

Elsa blinked.

"So...you aren't mad about last night?"

"Mad? Why would I be?" Stoick smiled at the shell shocked blonde. "It's been a long time since I've been challenged like that. I was about to turn ye down again, Your Majesty, before that little vixen of yers piped up. She certainly knows how to grab attention anyway."

Elsa's lips twitched into a smile upon hearing that and the worry that had gripped her chest eased. He wasn't angry, was even impressed with Anna...the relief Elsa felt was enormous.

"So, about those papers ye wanted me to sign?"

"Just like that?" Her heartbeat felt far, _far_ too loud in her ears.

"Just like that," Stoick affirmed, his smile growing. "By Odin, if I could capture that look on yer face, it would be the highlight of my visit."

A part of her noted that the informality Chief Stoick was paying her right now would've normally been met with stern words and a chilly room as she settled into her familiar role of intimidator, but now…

"A word of advice, from one leader to another," Stoick suddenly spoke up. Elsa was surprised to hear the unexpectedly grave tone the large man suddenly used. She nodded as a means to tell him to continue and the Viking cleared his throat.

"Relax."

Elsa frowned at the word and gave Stoick a firm look, which he chuckled at. "That's exactly what I mean. Before that wife of yers showed up, you would call me in here and try to intimidate me to sign those papers. Ye wanted an alliance, yet ye refused to negotiate with me in a way that was respectful to my people. As such, I responded in kind." Stoick straightened up to his full height, glaring down firmly at Queen and making her wince. "Ye need to learn to respect that some customs are not like yers and that ye can't rely on that gift to scare everyone into agreeing with ye."

"Aye, I 'eard about what happened in Corona. Twas nay pleasant, from what I've been told," he continued, while Elsa's eyes briefly flared in remembrance of the incident.

 _Upon being requested to approach the thrones by the King and Queen of Corona, Elsa complied and began, "Your Majesties, I require your assistance in the efforts to fight this war in order to protect the people of Arendelle, my people."_

 _The King, after a brief moment of deliberation, replied, "I understand your concern for your people, Queen Elsa, however I do not know what aid we can provide. We are not a warfaring people, and much of our economy relies on trade rather than production of goods."_

 _Elsa pleaded earnestly, "Please, Your Majesty, I need all of the assistance I can in this matter. Both the Southern Isles and Weselton are already preparing for war. My people, my kingdom, and I NEED your help." Frost slowly crept along the inside of her gloves, spreading from her fingertips towards her wrists._

 _Maintaining a tenuous smile, the King responded, "I'm sorry, but we are unable to provide any help to you at this time. But please...enjoy your stay in Corona."_

 _Without warning, Elsa sent a blast of her magic towards the feet of the royal couple seated across from her, freezing them to the floor. "I must insist, Corona_ _ **will**_ _join this alliance." The temperature in the room dropped suddenly. "You may not have the military strength of the Southern Isles, or even that of Weselton, but we need every last bit of help we can, including ensuring reliable trade to replenish and maintain our stores as we wage this lengthy war." Her brow was furrowed, with a sharp edge to her eyes and mouth quite contrary to their appearance when she had initially approached the older monarchs._

 _The royal couple's eyebrows rose. "You dare to threaten us?" The king spoke. It was a threat, not much of a question. Elsa's expression was blank, colder than the sparks of flurry that was sent to the king and the queen's way._

 _She crossed her arms, lowering her head. "My apologies, your majesties." She didn't mean it. "But you must realize… You won't be up to… To the game if you continue denying my offer."_

" _It's not even an offer!" The king slammed the side of his fist on his armrest. The fury of red, hot anger made Elsa look at them with a challenging tilt of her head. She'd never had someone scream at her before and rarely, anyone with such a supposedly smart brain would deny her. Elsa was reasonable and she'd have to use force to get what's good for anybody._

 _The man sigh out a frustrating breath. "It's not an offer. A threat… A command_ —"

" _You don't realize how weak my army would be_ — _how much of a disaster it would be for both of our kingdoms if we don't join forces."_

" _I want no part of this."_

" _Oh, but you do, your highness. If I lose, we will have nothing left for our people. And they will come for you too. We care about our people very much and if I have to… Threaten to get what I need for my people… Then so be it."_

 _She raised her hand, blue strings of snow flowing around her fingers. It was getting brighter, stronger as it was charging to its strongest point. Where she stood, it was frozen and frosted with layers of ice. It was spreading slowly, ice crackling through the floor around her and little steam from its dangerously frigid layer rose like green grasses through the first day of spring. Her blue eyes glowed with anger and her magic, snowflakes surrounding her pupils and frozen in their place as if inside out of her was made out of nothing but ice and snow._

" _So be it." She breathed. A threat._

 _The guards standing at edges of the throne room rushed forward to protect their monarchs, but an almost lazy wave of Elsa's hand froze their feet to the floor as well. She walked forward, heels clicking loudly with the force of her steps and spreading more frost beneath them. A guard fired his crossbow, the bolt whizzing through the air...only to halt half a meter from the queen, who had raised a wall of ice to intercept the attack._

" _You'll have to do better than that," she said coldly, pausing in her steps to look at the frightened guard, who was frantically reloading his crossbow. She flicked her wrist, and the ice shifted violently, expelling the bolt back towards its owner._

" _Queen Elsa!" she heard the King of Corona shout, a measure of desperation in his voice as the guard cried out in pain from the bolt buried in his shoulder. "Enough of this!"_

 _The blonde turned her head towards the other royal just as he tried to stand up from his throne, nearly falling to his knees as he lost his balance from the ice still trapping his feet to the floor._

 _Elsa didn't care, her fingers aimed at the king. She had no pity. No sympathy. Just… nothing._

 _The guards surrounded her, yelling for her to stop immediately, but they knew… in their little, tiny hearts, that Elsa couldn't care less of what they were saying. With those crossbows? Elsa didn't even have to look to see who was shooting. The guards, however, wouldn't shoot because they knew, number 1: if they did, the king would be lost. Number 2: Elsa could block them and they didn't have to waste all those bolts._

" _You can't do this!" the king shouted._

 _She tilted her head. "Oh believe me, I can." Suddenly, fractals of ice shot out of the ground right below each guard's throat, the tip almost puncturing through their skin. Layers of cold frost spread out throughout their flaming skin, droplets of blood dripping down the thin icicles._

 _Many guards fainted and those who were still standing, remained paranoid, staring at the reflection of their pathetic selves from the frozen magic. Elsa perked up a little grin. Quite evil, perhaps. But the king… oh, the king. He was speechless. Too scared to even speak up. But..._

" _I'LL DO IT!"_

 _Elsa blinked._

" _I'll do it…" he breathed, tears streaming down his face. "You want an ally… I get it. I'll do it, just please don't hurt my people."_

 _With that, Elsa lowered her hand and her glowing eyes softened to its original blue. With a snap of her fingers, the frosts dimmed and temperature was back to normal. Except… the guards were on the ground, weeping and almost immediately, fainting from the shock._

 _She grinned. "I'm glad we can both agree on that." Turning to the entrance, heels echoed through the ground as she walked. "I'll be enjoying Corona, thank you."_

Snapping out of the memory, Elsa trembled slightly as her lips tightened into a grimace and frost starting to crawl along her fingers. The young queen was willing to do whatever it would take to protect her kingdom, but that didn't mean she liked doing some of the things she had already done, or was yet to do.

Stoick, upon seeing the reaction he had incited abruptly halted the previous topic. "There, there, lass. I meant no harm." Softening his usually gruff tone and dropping his arms to his sides, he continued, "I know what it's like tryin' to protect those ye love, and those yer responsible for. Ye gotta make the hard choices sometimes, worse ye gotta live with the consequences of yer actions."

Elsa slowly took a deep breath, willing herself to calm, and the frost receded from her hands. "I-I… " she began, but was unable to continue.

"'ere, let me sign these papers and get outta yer 'air." Stoick held his hand out to take the treaties to be signed, which she handed over. He proceeded to sign them, and returned them to Elsa who also signed them, and handed back the chief's copy.

Elsa, grateful that this was done, said to the man with a small smile starting to alight her face, "Thank you, Chief Stoick. Your support means a lot to both Arendelle, and to me. Please, enjoy your stay."

"If 't weren't now with ye, 't would've been another day on our own. I'd much rather take the fight to them on our terms." With a wide grin, he exited the study and left Elsa to her work.

But however much the queen wanted to focus on her work, she couldn't help but marvel at how easily she had secured the support of one of the most powerful warrior nations in existence. And she didn't have to lift a single finger in terms of her powers.

Even now, she could feel her ice magic thrumming under her fingertips, eager to be expelled wherever she desired to enforce her will upon others, but what could she do when she was _given_ control, willingly? Elsa remembered the expression on the Coronan king's face, so defined and readily identifiable as fear, and she felt powerful then. On the viking's face though, were etched laugh lines and jaunty humour, and while he signed the contract far more easily than his more peaceful counterpart, the blonde felt…incomplete. She was not unhappy, but unsure, and that in itself was not an emotion she was used to.

The meeting was short and it relieved—no, _comforted_ her that Chief Stoick was so understanding. She smiled, head held high as she walked back to her— _their_ room.

She stared at the door, hand wrapped around the doorknob. They'd been comfortable for the most part this morning. Even Anna was comfortable enough to have to show her soft side, weeping and getting snot all over the blonde. The Queen was glad Anna could even be open to her, despite only knowing her for a day and a half.

Elsa frowned. _Now what?_

Now… she could wake Anna up. Now, she could go back to her study room and work on leftover documents and treaties that couldn't bother to be left empty. Now, she could go to the dining room to fix herself a breakfast-perhaps a small bowl of oatmeal, but that was plenty for Elsa. Or… she could just go in, and get a few more minutes of sleep. In bed with Anna, listening to her mumble, letting her drool on her as much as she wanted, and letting her drape her legs or arms around her.

She liked the warmth.

Smiling to herself at the thought, Elsa took a deep breath and opened the door.

 **Participants in this chapter: The Wandering Quill, iamrotting, Nojamhere, Cyrianu, Wolfypuppy7,** ** **Winterssummerallthefunner,** CanITellUSmThin,**


	4. Chapter 4

Somehow, Anna's hair had grown even messier since Elsa left, resembling a veritable bird's nest with how the strands stuck out and tangled in each other. Her wife was still sprawled out on the bed, sheets askew, but jerked into tentative wakefulness at the sound of the queen closing the door behind her. Suppressing a laugh behind her hand, Elsa walked over to the bed.

Maybe she should go wake Anna up, but a part of her didn't want to disturb the girl's slumber. She looked so comfortable! Well… too comfortable. Elsa cleared her throat, her laughter fading out gradually.

She laid on her side, grinning as her wife snored, drooled, and mumbled like she was at home. Elsa thought the redhead would be too nervous to be sleeping like this, but… this proved otherwise.

"Anna…" she breathed, blowing a light breath towards Anna's nose. She groaned, scrunching that cute freckled nose. Elsa couldn't suppress that giggle now. "It's morning, time to get up…" she whispered.

"Mm… the… sky's awake…" Anna slurred. She snored. God, back to sleep again—

Elsa tensed, feeling an arm draped around her own waist and a palm that was caressing her back up and down. She shuddered, body jerking from the touch that was so light and so tender as if she'd forgotten how sensitive and ticklish she was. She bit her lip, arching her back straight with her eyes shut closed.

She just needed to concentrate… _sine… cosine… tangent… hypotenuse… solutio triangulorum…_

"Anna," she whispered again, this time cupping the girl's cheek. The dry one. "The sky _is_ awake, and you should be, as well."

"Mhnmm. Five more… minutes…"

The teasing hand on her back was almost more than the queen could bear, and mentally defining mathematical terms wasn't taking the edge off her nerves. Wasn't muting the butterflies in her stomach. How could she have been negotiating a treaty with a foreign nation mere minutes ago, and unable to suppress such frivolous reactions from one single woman the next?

Frivolous reactions such as leaning in to kiss her forehead. Anna's skin was so warm, so fresh despite the night of sleep. Better than hot chocolate. Somehow she resisted kissing it again as she whispered, "I need you."

That had _not_ been what she intended to say. Not at all! Hastily, she cleared her throat and tried again. "Need you to wake up now. So we can begin our lives together." That was little better than propositioning her!

"Al' ight… al' ight…" She stayed quiet and suddenly a long, loud snore filled the room.

This was going to be difficult. Elsa had never tried so hard to wake someone up—actually, she'd never woken someone up other than herself before! She didn't know what to do. But… couples would usually wake up with a good morning or fingers running down each others' hair, or… a kiss?

She pondered, and the thought of kissing her once again was riveting. Her lips were beautiful and plump, pink and just wonderfully soft. Elsa couldn't possibly forget how they kissed during their wedding ceremony and how tender her skin was. She bit her lip, looking at Anna's. It was just how she remembered it to be.

"If you don't wake up soon… I'll do something…" she whispered, swallowing. God, she was nervous.

Anna didn't even move.

Elsa took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heartbeat, her eyes never leaving her intended targets as she started a slow descent. She licked her lips in nervous anticipation. She hadn't kissed Anna since the wedding...would she accept it? Would she wake up screaming in outrage? The questions sent a wave of panic coursing through her and she faltered just inches away from Anna's lips. She could feel Anna's warm breath on her cheek and when she inhaled, she caught her wife's scent.

Trembling slightly in nerves and hesitation, Elsa finally took the plunge and pressed her lips to Anna's in a slow, chaste kiss.

With the combined feel of Anna's supple lips against her own and the gentle strokes of the palm against her back, Elsa melted into the kiss. After a few seconds, Anna began to respond – meeting the ministrations of Elsa's lips with her own, and wrapped her other arm around Elsa's shoulders to pull her closer.

Elsa, lost in the moment, slowly moved her right hand into Anna's fiery mane of hair and gently pulled their faces closer. The kiss grew deeper, as both women lessened the space between them and more firmly pressed closed lips together.

Short on breath, Elsa pulled back slowly and took a deep inhale as she tried to overcome the lightheaded sensation she experienced. As she inhaled, she heard a low, hitched and breathily aired " _El-ls-aahh..._ " From the inflection, she could not distinguish if it was a whine or a moan – or perhaps somewhere in between. Her face flushed a deep shade of crimson at the thoughts which came to her from that.

As her breathing evened out, and her heart slowed its hammering in her chest, she looked again upon the face mere inches from her own and sighed. _She is still asleep_.

"W-well," she breathed into Anna's hair, smiling one of the softest smiles she had in years. "You... have certainly made my morning brighter, and yours hasn't even begun."

"Mmm," Anna sighed—and at long last, her eyelids fluttered open. "Elsa?"

"Yes?" the queen replied, fighting down a giggle.

"I… had the most incredible dream that we were…" Then her cheeks flushed and she blinked, obviously more awake than she had been moments ago.

"We were what?"

"N-nevermind." Pushing to a sitting position, Anna stretched her arms out as Elsa made her own seat more comfortable, trying to keep the powerful blush off her face. "What were you doing?"

This gave Elsa pause. Should she admit her fleeting indiscretion, or dance around it so as not to make her wife uncomfortable? The first, of course—even if it was more difficult. Anna would never forgive her if she found out some other way, even though she wasn't sure what way that might be.

"Kissing you awake," she told her very shortly. No sense beating about the bush, either.

If nothing else, the look on Anna's face made an amused smile grace itself across Elsa's lips. She looked baffled, blinking wide teal eyes at her in surprise; whether it was over her boldness or something else, Elsa didn't know but it made Anna look rather adorable.

"You mean...that wasn't a dream?" she asked. By her voice, she didn't sound angry...but then, it could just be because it hadn't quite clicked in yet. Elsa simply nodded in confirmation.

She blushed and forgot how to speak. Anna didn't even realize how close they were and how… well, intimately they were touching—no, feeling each other. Second day of marriage, and they'd already gotten so far as to being so personal and in so much contact. Normally… this would happen, right?

Well… for a normal couple… and on their wedding night… and…

Anna blushed again. Wedding night, oh God. _Sex._ She always tried not to think about sex, especially when her morning just barely started, but after seeing the beauty of Elsa's bosom and the smooth, milky white back that arched so sharply where she stood and god, those legs and bottom, exposed and too alluring for her eyes that she was tempted to get a taste of her, Anna just couldn't stop.

"R-Really, that wasn't a dream?" Anna tasted a speck of sweetness on her lips.

"It wasn't… and…" The blonde frowned. "If you didn't like what I did, just please—"

"No, I did." She grinned. Elsa was completely and utterly speechless. Maybe she didn't expect an answer so solid and well, truthful. "I really did."

The queen grinned slightly. "So you wouldn't mind…"

"I wouldn't mind if we did this again."

Anna couldn't possibly have been serious. They'd been turning hot to cold and vice versa, too fast!

Anna, having briefly glimpsed the shift from weak smile to apprehension on Elsa's face, leaned in and gave her a light peck on the lips. "Truly," followed by a warm, wide smile.

Elsa returned the smile, her cheeks hurting from stretching so much. She couldn't help it, she went in for another kiss, loving the feel of her wife's soft lips against her own. And Anna was returning it! The blonde's hands unconsciously cleared away the blankets surrounding the redhead before they clasped her hips possessively and brought her closer. She let out a little groan when Anna reacted by looping her arms around her neck, the thin icy dress doing little to dampen the pointed feel of her nails digging into Elsa's back.

However, the kiss was starting to toe into the sort of territory that neither were fully prepared to explore, so the queen reluctantly broke it off, but not abruptly, taking her time to appreciate Anna's freckles with gentle pecks. She leaned her forehead against her wife, both panting as if they'd run a marathon. The redhead was the first to break the silence as she cracked open one eye and commented wryly, "Well, excellent morning to you, too."

It worked. Elsa started laughing, her head gently coming to rest against her wife's shoulders, which started to shake as Anna joined in. Eventually, their laughter subsided but the silence that reigned was a comfortable one. Elsa had moved over to sit beside Anna on the bed, who promptly leaned her head against the blonde's shoulder.

Oh, if only they had their first meeting like this… sweet and longing. The birds sang outside of the window, and it was music to the two women's ears. Their fingers touched so lightly, that they'd barely even notice it if they weren't gazing down and pondering whether or not to hold each other dearly.

Anna made the move, brushing her pinky on Elsa's index finger. She flinched, but that didn't stop Anna. Elsa was hesitant, but with the warmth of Anna's fingers placed on top of hers, Elsa wanted more. Her palm faced up with Anna's hand on top. And slowly, fingers intertwined with each other and their breathing hitched to the level where they were breathless.

But they had to admit, they were both very warm… and that warmth was very much needed.

Elsa noticed her wife grinning on her shoulder, shifting so that her lips were pressed to her neck. Shivers ran down her spine, and never had she felt so hot in her life… as if Anna was the sun and she was embracing the cold, cold moon behind the dark span of clouds.

"I wish it'd always be this way…"

"Why can't it be?" Elsa whispered, squeezing her hand on Anna's.

The redhead closed her eyes. "After all these arguments… I assumed our marriage was doomed."

Oh, but this was just the beginning. A marriage that still hadn't grown fully yet, but it would bloom quite beautifully. Elsa knew it.

"We don't have to argue."

"You know we can't always help it, Elsa."

"Perhaps not, but that doesn't mean we cannot make this marriage work. I want to make it work."

Anna had opened her eyes at "Perhaps not", and closely watched Elsa as she spoke, thunderstruck at the sheepish expression paired with the tentative tone of the last sentence. "I-I… I want that too. Very much."

Elsa began, "I truly am sorry for the demeaning manner in which I spoke both of, and to, you yesterday. It was highly improper—

"I—" Anna began to interject, but stopped when Elsa put a solitary finger to her lips.

"Please, let me finish, then you may speak freely. I need to say this, all of it." Elsa gave her a gentle peck on the cheek before she continued, "This is no excuse, please understand that—but I needed to keep that conversation with the council political in nature. There is no telling where the Southern Isles or Weselton may have ears and eyes, spying on us." Her smile thinned slightly at the thought, eyes slightly narrowing before she took a deep breath and let her face relax again. "If word ever got out to either of those nations that this marriage was not solely based on political need, especially at this stage, it would be disastrous."

Anna, stupefied at the statement, just stared at her.

"Anna, I remember meeting you when we were younger. I don't know if you would remember me, but you were such a fiery bundle of energy even back then. Our family was close with the royals of Corona when I was young, and I would glimpse you playing with Princesses Rapunzel and Merida as I sat reading. But I could never bring myself to join in, something always held me back." Elsa sighed remorsefully, and slowly continued, " Once my powers started to get out of control—I was 8 at the time, I was no longer able to leave Arendelle... or the castle, for that matter. However, before their passing, my parents continued to keep me apprised of the situations of both the Dunbroch and Coronan families. My mother would regale me with the most interesting tales about you during that time." A small smirk grew upon the young queen's face.

Anna had an astounded expression implanted on her face. She'd never seen Elsa before… and yet, to have this woman who never talked to her but took simple, little glimpse at her when they were just kids… Anna didn't know what to think. Other than apologizing.

She looked down to her lap and held her wife's hand tightly. Fingers embraced each other so warmly that they immediately became familiar with each other's touch. "I… I didn't know, Elsa, I—"

"I was a kid, too shy and too scared to come talk to you. It's perfectly normal if you didn't remember me."

"I don't remember and I'm—"

Elsa turned with a joyful smile. It was bittersweet… seeing how she'd suffered many years and now, she didn't have to with Anna by her side. Gods, had she fallen in love already? No; too soon, she thought.

Leaning in again, the tips of their noses touched and their eyes stared lovingly at one another.

"I—"

And that kiss finally took Anna's breath away, with Elsa cupping her cheek and warm, soft lips against her own.

What was with her and kissing her wife? Well, married couples were supposed to enjoy one another's company, but the queen was sure she was setting a precedent with how quickly she was growing attached to Anna. And her soft lips. Which were steadily growing more insistent as they trailed her jawline, each kiss adding to the growing, swirling warmth in the blonde's stomach.

Anna's kisses trailed first toward Elsa's left ear, ending with a peck to the cheek, then mirrored the actions on the other side. Once Anna was finished, the queen drew the redhead in with a hand curled around the nape of her neck for another fervent kiss. Their lips moved together in unison, as if performing a duet—evenly matching time and pressure.

Was this how it felt to be intimate with someone? To share the same feelings?

The queen's thoughts were put on hold when Anna pressed closer to her. Her wife let out a small moan as hands began to roam, and their kisses began to deepen. If there was one thing Elsa knew, it was that she would hold onto this woman for the rest of her days.

 _I'll be damned if I ever let her go._

But a part of her knew that this was going way too fast. It would possibly destroy the future relationship… perhaps deepen it, but Elsa knew they both wouldn't want to risk that.

"A-Anna…" she sighed, a hand gripping onto her upper arm and soon, Anna had a hand drifting up her thigh so gently, that left Elsa gasping and growling for more. She swallowed, her head tilted up while Anna's wonderful soft lips, hot breath trailing down her pale neck. Elsa shuddered into her hand… her lips… and she was about to give in.

The room was getting colder, but Elsa's body was burning with passion and desire. Nothing could stop this fire but Anna.

"S-Stop…"

"I… I want this, but…" Elsa started, stumbling over her words as her mind fought to regain control—in direct contest with the urges of her body. She gently grabbed Anna's wrist, removing the freckled hand from her leg. "It's too soon. We're still getting to know each other better, and… I don't want to rush this. I want us _both_ to be ready, walking into the situation willing, not just succumbing to the primal urges of our bodies."

"You're… right…" Anna breathily panted, moving her arm to hold the hand that was grasping her wrist.

At that moment, a low grumbling sound echoed in the bedchamber. Elsa raised an eyebrow quizzically, however that was quickly replaced by a slight smirk at the mortified look on her wife's face. She stated simply, "You must be hungry."

The passionate moment now broken, Anna huffed and her cheeks began to stain with embarrassment.

"I..." Anna gave a small sigh. "I guess I am. I…We should probably eat something."

"You can go on ahead," Elsa replied, trying to slow her emotional state down. This woman was quickly unraveling the tightly bound strings on her heart, and she just needed a moment to catch her breath, to compose herself.

Anna giggled in response which made Elsa tilt her head in slight confusion. As the queen awaited an explanation, she noted how adorable her wife looked with hair strewn about and a flushed face.

 _Adorable indeed._

"Knowing you, Elsa dearest, you probably haven't eaten anything either. I mean," Anna grinned at her, "after _that_ , I am sure you could use a bite to eat! What do you say, join me?"

 _...Dearest?_

The word lovingly tacked onto the end of her name sent Elsa's heart fluttering. Nobody had called her something like that since...since her mother… and to hear it spill so casually from Anna's smiling lips despite everything that has happened between them, all the hurtful words and fighting...it made Elsa's eyes fill with warm tears.

Anna seemed to notice because suddenly Elsa's face was captured between two gentle hands. "Are you okay?" She fussed, "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"N-No." Elsa managed to choke out, shaking her head and reaching up to cup one of those warm hands reverently. "Y-You...you said just the right thing."

Anna tilted her head, her thumb brushing off the happy tears away. "Right thing…?"

She chuckled and took her hand in hers, squeezing in need for the comfort that Anna had. And Anna's hands were so warm… so motherly—even if Elsa was older than her—she couldn't help but think about how lovingly her mother would take her cheeks in her hands. She'd dreamed of being called something… so _right_ and something that people wouldn't assume so wrongfully about her.

Her smile was sweeter than the nectar from a flower and Elsa felt so snug in her hands.

"To be called… 'my Dearest'…"

The confusion shown on her face faded to the most content expression Anna had ever given. Tears formed and her heart ached to the thought of how Elsa must wanted to be seen as anything but a monster. And there she was, sitting beside her and watching her let everything go and be free.

"Oh, Elsa…"

"Thank you…"

Anna's stomach impatiently made itself known once more. She groaned at the inopportune interruption.

Elsa winced apologetically. "I… I'm sorry. Look at me standing here, like this, while you must be famished."

"No, no… this was more important." Anna grinned. " _You are_ more important. And you are not a monster… no matter what anybody else might say about you." Her face twisted into a grimace and fell to look at her feet, remembering what had occurred when she was cleaning up prior to the ceremony the day prior. She uttered softly, "A-and… I… I'm _so_ sorry I called you one yesterday."

Elsa squeezed Anna's hands and assured her, "No, it's alright. You're technically not wrong for calling me that." She chuckled without a smidgen of humor, regret shrouding her features as she fell deep in thought. There was no doubt about her being a monster, because only a monster could possess peculiar powers and use them to her advantage in less than friendly ways.

* * *

"Elsa..." Anna barely fought back tears.

 _She really believes she's a monster…_

She grit her teeth. "No _,_ I _was_ wrong." She continued with steadfast determination, "You _are_ wrong. _So very_ wrong. You're not a monster." She allowed a warm smile to alight her face, squeezed Elsa's pale hands in return, and her voice softened. "Please, Elsa, _my dearest_ , do not let how people who don't really know you so heavily influence how you see yourself."

She released Elsa's hands only to step in closer, wrap her arms around the blonde's waist, and pull her into a crushing hug.

* * *

"N-No." Elsa quickly pulled away. Tears constantly flowed down her cheeks, and the thoughts that haunted her… the thought of her very own being killing someone without mercy… it terrified her. She wouldn't know _what_ to do if by accident, she would hurt Anna, too.

Anna frowned. "W-What?"

" _You're_ wrong, my beautiful. I… did you see how I looked when I killed that man…?" she chuckled, her laughter broken into sobs. "I-I was merciless… quick to react... quick to show that I didn't care one bit about him…"

"Elsa, it was self-defense."

"He wasn't hurting _me._ "

"Fine, you were only trying to protect me!" Anna held onto her wife's hand. "I don't care what you think you look like… how you felt when you killed him, but I know you were only there to rescue me and I'm greatly thankful for that, Elsa."

Thankful...

When was the last time anyone had said such words to her, without the undercurrent of tension within them that spoke of their reluctance, their fear?

Elsa was utterly speechless. And with that speechlessness, Anna landed a kiss on her forehead and fingers running through her soft golden hair.

"You're okay, my sweet…" she whispered into her, fingers wiping the bitter tears that filled Elsa with nothing but agony. Elsa would be safe… would be filled with dreams and hopes if Anna was here. Together and always. Grinning lovingly to her weeping wife, Anna cupped her cheeks and tilted her head up. "Now, I know you are a strong woman… God, you are a queen, and a wonderful, beautiful queen, if I must say, so please… this is nothing you should be crying about."

"People call me a monster…" Elsa's eyes glistened from unshed tears. She was a queen, and now, she was going to try her very best to be a better one for _her queen._ She wiped her tears.

"But I would never say these things to you… so just listen to me. Look at me. I'll be yours."

Oh, goodness.

" _I am_ yours, Elsa. From now until eternity."

 _Oh._

"And… and _I_ am _yours_ , Anna, for all time."

"Good. Now, let's go eat—I am starving," Anna began gently, only to take on a stern tone as she finished, "and I'm certain that you've not eaten yet, either."

Elsa gave her a wary glance, brow raised.

"Yes? While you slept early this morning in the kitchen, Gerda and I talked… and you not eating properly came up as an issue—one which I fully intend to deal with." Anna grabbed hold of Elsa by the hand. "Lead the way, my queen."

* * *

They walked hand-in-hand down the hallways of the castle, chatting about whatever came to mind. Elsa learned that Anna's favorite season was summer; that she thought orange was an atrocious color, and that the right side of Anna's mouth always twitched first before the left whenever she smiled.

This was… nice. This was how things _should have_ been, in fact.

Anna had never once mentioned ice or snow, knowing that Elsa would feel far too uncomfortable talking about it. Nor did she want something like what happened this morning to ever happen again.

They soon came into the dining hall and the only people that wandered around were the servants and the royal couple. It had always been strange to Anna. When she was back at home, the dining hall was much more loud and… colorful than what her eyes were looking at right now. It was dark, gloomy, and empty. It was expected. Elsa had been alone in this castle for years…

She turned to the woman that was talking to her and gave her a remorseful smile. _It must've been lonely for her._

"Anna? Would you like to take a seat?"

The redhead shook away her thoughts to see her dear wife pulling out a chair for her. "Oh! I'm sorry, I was… daydreaming." She took her seat and let Elsa push her in. The woman chuckled as she sat next to her—leisurely putting an elbow on the table and a fist supporting her head. And then all of a sudden, Anna's heart managed to freeze.

She'd never seen this woman smile like that—so caring and adoring. Even her eyes sparkled.

"About what, if I may ask? I've learned a lot about you as we talked on our way here. I'm surprised you've gotten all meek and quiet right now."

This time, she was fidgeting. Out of habit, she twirled the tip of her braid around her finger… and Elsa was beginning to become mesmerized at the fiery red hair.

"W-Well, I…" Anna felt fingers slowly running through her hair and a blush ignited across her cheeks like fireworks. And Gods, the heart that was pounding almost made Anna think that there really were fireworks going off in the middle of the day. She turned, only to see her wife's eyes glazed with desire. Had she not known why her eyes looked so… dark, she would've thought she wanted something else. Something _more._

Neither one cared for what Anna was going to say, and fortunately, Anna had forgotten what she was going to say. She laced Elsa's fingers between her own and the queen froze, eyes gazing down at hers.

"You'd think I wouldn't notice you getting all dazed, just by my hair, but I did."

The queen chuckled and squeezed her hair. "It's gorgeous, what can I say?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't like the way it looks during the morning." Slowly she moved closer, and the only sight she could see was the deliciously pink lips of Elsa's. The blonde didn't mind at all… in fact, that perky smile encouraged it.

"I'm sure it's not as bad as you say." Elsa smiled, bringing Anna's hand up to her lips to lay the barest trace of a kiss on her knuckle. "You could wear a potato sack and probably look gorgeous."

Anna's cheeks turned pink and her next smile was just the tiniest bit shy.

"But then, perhaps we should start eating? You must be hungry."

When she finally looked at what was laid out before her, Anna couldn't help but gape in awe at the sight of the local delicacies set upon the table, letting out an unintentional "Whoahhhh."

"Geographically speaking, Arendelle and Dunbroch _are_ close," Elsa said. There was a noticeable flush of pink crayoned across her cheeks and Anna couldn't help but feel a little more important being around here—less like an object, more like an actual princess—one that had a not-so-secret admirer. "It's no surprise we are able to easily replicate the meals you have there. I never quite got to know what you liked, so I had the chefs prepare the best of every dish they were familiar with of Dunbroch. I hope they match your tastes."

When Elsa picked up her silverware, Anna followed after, her lips between her teeth as she still couldn't stop smiling at the sight of her homeland's traditional food. Despite the terrible day previous, there were hints of home in this place—somewhere, some time of the day, someone—she could return to. And Elsa took it upon herself to do it for her.

Anna, her hunger having gotten the best of her, had eagerly dove into the array of food which consisted of bread, fish, lamb, potatoes, and vegetables. Beside her, Elsa ate much slower—carefully maintaining her typical grace and poise all the while.

After several minutes had passed, Elsa asked of her between bites, "So, Anna, what would you like to do today?"

Her cheeks had grown warm in recollection of their rather… _passionate_ kisses in bed. She coughed and sputtered as her gaze fell slightly to her plate.

When she felt cool fingers brush against her cheek she nearly jumped. The fingers then trailed to under her chin, in order to turn and lift her head. Upon Elsa catching her gaze, she felt the blonde's lips brush hers before her lower lip was pulled between them briefly.

Anna's heart nearly gave out at the feeling of breath tickling her rouged cheeks, teeth nibbling onto her bottom lip as if it was her last meal… and cold fingers sliding between her own. Anna could still taste the blueberries she'd eaten not a long while ago… and she was quite enjoying it. It was refreshing… sweet… intoxicating.

Slowly she let her eyes shut, her grip between her fingers tightening. Anna really wanted this… though, at first, it was quite hard to imagine that she did.

Perhaps it was because of their… rough start. Admittedly, the situation they were in right now was...strange, but it could have been a lot worse. Kisses like these certainly weren't something that could be considered horrible. And in a foreign land with no friends other than her new wife…

"We should...finish our meal first, yes?" said wife breathlessly asked as they parted for air. Anna nearly snorted out a laugh. She'd completely forgotten about food; too caught up in the moment.

But it was...a nice moment.

"You never did answer what you would like to do today," Elsa said after a few minutes had passed in silence, broken only by cutlery scraping against plates and loud chewing on Anna's end. "I have meetings for the rest of the week starting tomorrow, so today may be our only chance for an uninterrupted day together. At least...for the next week or so, depending on the war."

 _Oh. That's right...the war._

"Oh, I wish you didn't have to deal with that pesky war," Anna grumbled loudly, attempting humour. Perhaps it was out of place, but she didn't want the threat of violence from abroad casting a pall over their pleasant morning.

It worked, to a degree. Elsa snorted inelegantly as she swallowed the last of her fish. As Anna had feared, she had only put the most modest of portions on her own plate, and a small mound of vegetables besides… but at least it was a proper meal, if scarcely so.

"We are in agreement about that. Sadly, if wishes for that very thing were gold, I'd be able to _buy_ the Southern Isles outright."

"I'm sure you're right." Regretfully abandoning the last of her own lamb, and silently promising to go back for more later, she decided they had been apart for too long—even if that were only the length of the brief meal. Standing, she edged around the table to seat herself upon Elsa's lap.

"Anna, wh-what are—"

"You will just have to use your favourite little pawn to win the war," Anna breathed sensually as she settled in, nuzzling her cheek up against Elsa's temple before drawing back to press their foreheads together. This drew a semi-frustrated sigh from her wife as she reached up to cup the warm freckles of her cheek.

"Please believe me when I say this, I do not think of you as only a pawn. If this is chess, you're… my queen."

Anna couldn't breathe, her eyes locked with Elsa's in an intense connection that set her heart racing and face warming. Before she could do anything incredibly stupid, the redhead cleared her throat and mentally batted away the pleasant haze that surrounded the two of them. "So. Er, would that make you a knight?"

Elsa let out another snort. "Beg pardon?"

Her hand was still on Anna's face, cool yet soft and still tempting her to turn her head a fraction and kiss that palm—Well, because you said I'm your, um, queen so would that—" A slight caress of the thumb across reddening freckles. "that—uh, see you're also a queen but you're not the opponent, either, because we're on the same side, so I was wondering—" A light trace of the jaw with a long, slender middle finger. "—what you'd be."

The true queen chuckled before removing her hand, leaving a disagreeable sense of bareness in her wife. Which was immediately forgotten when that hand was replaced with a pair of lips, their soft touch highlighting the rouge on Anna's cheeks.

"I was hoping to be your king," came the soft murmur, quiet yet resounding in meaning.

"W-what? Oh… right. Yes…" Anna spluttered when it had occurred to her that rank-wise, in the game, Elsa probably was that—the one who promised to protect their land, the one with the most limited moves because they have so much to lose.

 _Even with her powers, she still…_

"If you would have me, of course," Elsa said with a light chuckle against her skin, interrupting her thoughts.

Anna arched an eyebrow even if the blonde couldn't see it, biting at her lip to stifle a laugh of her own. "A bit late for that now, don't you think?"

"True." Elsa gently nudged her off her lap at the sound of footsteps approaching. "Still, I'd rather everything else have an element of choice to them. Even if the most important one wasn't."

The doors to the dining hall opened.

Anna grumbled and quickly patted her dress down.

"Your Majesties!"

The redhead nearly gasped in shock at the booming voice by the entrance. Who in the world had this much energy in the morning to yell that loudly that the room was shaking from the vibration? Of course, it was none other than Stoick. She gave Elsa an almost disgusted look and the queen merely shrugged.

She watched her wife get up. "Stoick, you've gotten up early."

He laughed. "Oh, we do that every day. I just wanted to grab a bite n' I'll be off for the day!"

"It'd be a pleasure if you'd like to eat with us."

Anna snapped her head towards Elsa, grabbing her arm and squeezed. "What are you doing…?" she whispered.

"We've… created quite a bond… before you've even woken up."

"A bond…" Anna's jaw dropped as her mind caught up to the implications. "You mean...you actually had a meeting with him and became friends?!"

Elsa smiled tightly as she reached for a silver bell near her plate, ringing it to summon one of the castle's many servants. "I wouldn't call him a _friend_ just yet," she said, returning the bell to its place, "At least...not at this point. He's certainly an ally and one we can trust to have our backs—"

"Nonsense!" Stoick nearly bellowed, laughing once more as he lumbered further into the room and seated himself across from the two. "We're all friends here, Queen Elsa!"

The couple finally took their seat. "Of course. But…" She glanced over to Anna, who had her arms crossed and a pout spouting across her cheeks. Elsa couldn't help but admire how adorable she looked. "I'm afraid, I've made my wife jealous."

Anna immediately gasped. "Jealous?!" She felt a hand on her knee, patting her. But she didn't really care. "I'm not jealous!"

Elsa smiled when Stoick let out a hearty laughter. "Oh goodness, what have I gotten into?!"

The redhead turned to him. Nobody had ever teased her like this! "Just so we're clear, last night's conversation doesn't make us friends. We argued because of that!"

Her wife raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Anna, that's enough."

Stoick clearly didn't take that too seriously. "Of course, of course. I'll have to redeem myself, don't I?"

"Please, Stoick, Anna's being a little stubborn… it's one of her greatest features. You don't have to do anything." Elsa turned to Anna, still holding onto that pout but it was melting immediately the moment she'd complimented her 'greatest features'. "If anything, I'll have to make up everything that I've done for the past few days to her."

The Viking grinned broadly at the same time one of the castle servants entered the dining hall with a plate of food for their boisterous guest. "If you're open to another piece of advice, Queen Elsa, 'a happy wife is a happy life'!" Thanking the servant after those words of wisdom, he forewent the utensils provided and dove into his meal with great gusto, picking up the lamb and fish with his bare hands.

Ever the polite one, Anna watched as Elsa pointedly ignored the ravenous display across from her, seemingly eating her food with even greater care and overall neatness than before. Anna, for her part, gleefully took a page from Stoick's book and began using her hands like she and King Fergus would've done back home...only to receive an admonishing look from her wife. Offering a sheepish grin, the redhead wiped her hands clean on the nearest napkin before picking up her utensils once more.

"Have you taken a look 'round Arendelle yet?" Stoick grunted after a few minutes, gingerly picking at the vegetables on his plate.

It took Anna a moment to realize he had addressed her. "Oh. No, no I haven't," she said around a mouthful of potatoes.

"Mhm, well, it's a beautiful place. But the weather is really harsh here." He cast a quick glance to Elsa, who had just stopped taking another bite of her food, her eyes gazing down at her plate then back to the man. There was a silence… and it was quite threatening. Anna could've sworn the room had gone all cold. But it was only Elsa's stare that had been.

For a moment, Anna didn't know what was causing this deafening silence. She brushed her hand against her wife's. "Elsa…"

The queen's finger twitched and she turned to Anna. There was that look again, the same as when Elsa was there to save her from her abductor. Chills crawled down her spine and something… menacing told her to say no more.

"Did ye think about what I told ye this mornin'?" Stoick questioned.

The queen didn't let her gaze break from Anna's. "Of course."

Finishing his meal with a gulp of cranberry juice, he got up. "Be careful, my queen. Use your power wisely… protect your wife, and the consequences won't be deadly. Have a good day, your majesties." WIth a bow, he led himself towards the entrance and shut the door.

For a moment of silence, Anna took her time to think over what they were talking about. None of this made any sense. Well, of course it wouldn't... considering she'd been asleep when they talked. Consequences…? That didn't sound very good.

"Would you mind telling me what… he meant?" She had used all her courage to say that one sentence.

Elsa only grinned faintly, and took her hand to her lips. But Anna wasn't fazed. She wanted an answer.

"Please, Elsa." She pulled her hand back. "We're married… we have to be honest with each other."

"There are some things that we can't say in order to protect our loved ones, beautiful."

"Do you not trust me?"

The blonde turned her head away, averting her gaze back to her plate. "It's not that I don't trust you, Anna. I just...don't think it's the right time to tell you right now. Not at such an early point."

"But...eventually?" Anna pressed, even as the curiosity grew in strength.

Elsa sighed, her lips curling into another faint smile as she turned her head to briefly glance at Anna again. "Eventually," she quietly promised, sounding so earnest in spite of her soft tones that something in Anna's heart ached.

Anna wasn't really convinced, but… she had to trust her wife. She was the queen, after all. She needed to be trustworthy, someone who was reliable—who could protect the good of her people. Anna was no different. She was just a princess who wanted love… and now she got it with the woman sitting next to her. Elsa would protect her, give her anything that she never managed to get in her lifetime—she doubted there would be anymore to give when she already had all… and more than enough that she needed in the world.

"Do you think… I can make it up to you for what happened?"

"Pardon?"

Elsa smiled and tucked a strand of auburn hair behind Anna's ear. "I'd like to do something with you today to make up for all the distress I've caused you."

She rolled her eyes. "Elsa, we were immature… and selfish, and… just know that we were both at fault here. But…"

The queen raised her eyebrows as her wife held her hand tight. "But?"

"But if you really want to make it up to me… we can go around the town! It's my first time here and, I'm sure it's just as beautiful as Stoick said it was!"

Anna reached for her wife's hands, entwining them with her own and giving them a squeeze. "Please? As you said...who knows when we'll be able to spend time together like this?" She smiled upon finishing her words, fluttering her lashes, and the older woman before her giggled at the act.

"We can if you promise not to do that again," Elsa said, bringing their hands up to press a brief kiss to Anna's knuckles.

"Promise not to do what?" the redhead asked, fluttering her lashes even more, and Elsa turned her head in mock disgust as she tugged their hands apart. A fit of giggles seized them both, with friendly banter exchanged afterwards and before they realized they _still_ had yet to finish their meal.

"Shall we go...my queen?" Elsa said, offering a hand as she stood up, one corner of her mouth twitching into a half-smile.

And Anna took the offered hand gladly.

"Of course, my _king_."

* * *

Walking arm in arm and looking like Arendelle's perfect royal pair, Elsa and Anna proudly ventured past the castle gates and entered the town and its hustle and bustle of citizens going about their daily activities. An assortment of scents and sounds permeated the air as merchants bartered with potential customers, bakers and cooks prepared scrumptious delicacies, blacksmiths sweated over shaping a shiny new knife, and young children screamed merrily and chased each other around the buildings.

Regardless of how busy the people were, every single one that the couple happened to walk by took the time to acknowledge their queen and her new, blushing bride with bright smiles and friendly waves.

Anna delightfully confirmed the town was indeed a beautiful sight to behold, and they only just arrived there!

"Ooh! What's that over there?"

"Anna, slow down…!"

Most of their time in town was spent in such a manner, with Anna tugging the queen along whenever something caught her interest. She tasted the foods Arendelle had to offer—well, as much as she could eat without getting a stomachache, of course—and played with the children whenever they asked while Elsa watched off to the side.

It didn't take Anna long to see how much respect the people of Arendelle held for their queen.

...And the hope, too.

"Stronger than one!" someone called as they passed a crowded tavern. Turning her head, Anna saw a group of what looked like ice harvesters, town guards, and soldiers milling about outside, as there was little room to spare inside the establishment.

"Stronger than ten!" another added, and from the corner of her eye, Anna could see a slight blush rising to Elsa's cheeks.

"Stronger than a hundred men!" the group said in unison with broad smiles all around, raising their tankards to the royals passing by. "Hail, Queen Elsa!"

"Don't mind them," said queen whispered in obvious embarrassment, linking their arms once more and subtly drawing her wife away from the revelers.

Anna smiled a little at Elsa's reaction to her people's praise. "Is it true, though? That you're stronger than a hundred men?"

"Have you even met me?" Elsa chuckled.

Anna cast a confused look to her wife.

Elsa flushed, then she raised a hand to cover her mouth and giggled lightly. "It's about my powers—the ice I create."

"Oh!" She gasped, as her eyes widened with comprehension.

The queen arched her brow, her expression softening. Her eyes held a touch of vulnerability to them. "Have you forgotten already?"

"Forgotten what?" Perhaps, Anna was just too excited that she'd forgotten what she'd done to protect her. Elsa stopped in her tracks, and held Anna's hand.

"I've killed a man, Anna… and more, but you just weren't there to witness them."

Anna heard the fear in her voice and she knew, Elsa didn't want to be 'stronger than a hundred men'. She only wanted to be a normal girl… who ruled the world without her powers getting in the way. Whether it was an advantage or not, this wasn't what Elsa wanted. Her wife frowned at the exposed expression she had.

Everything around them seemed to have disappeared from their sight, and they could only see each other. Elsa… she'd been in the dark for a long, long time and Anna was her light.

And the light didn't really care about what she'd done in the past. If it was necessary… then so be it.

The redhead smiled and came close to her, cupping her hand around the queen's cheek. "No, I haven't forgotten. And I think… I think it's great that people find you being a strong person. You're being acknowledged, Elsa."

"For my powers."

"For what you've done for this _kingdom_."

Anna's hand drifted down to join the other in holding Elsa's hands. "Your people, they...they really love you, don't they?"

"I…" She watched as Elsa looked around to see the townspeople smiling as they admired her. There was love all around… but did she realize this? "I hope they do."

"They do!" Anna affirmed, giving her wife's hands a squeeze. Her grip faltered, smile wavering. "They...really do."

 _Oh, gods...No wonder she was so upset over ruining a possible alliance._

Apprehension overcame Anna when she thought of the hard working people and the impending war ahead that could potentially upend their lives. "Elsa, where will the war be happening?" she questioned, realizing she knew very little details about the war aside from who was involved.

Elsa grew serious, her lips forming a thin line before she solemnly answered, "If I can help it, it won't come anywhere near Arendelle… We'll be bringing the fight to our enemies and hopefully keep it contained there. But if it does make it through… I will do everything in my power to protect my kingdom and my people."

Her eyes hardened; as cold as the ice she commanded at her fingertips, and Anna had no doubts as to what the blonde would resort to, if pushed. Briefly, the memory of Elsa killing Anna's attempted kidnapper flashed through her mind. Of the sharp spikes of ice that had formed out of nowhere, of the bright blood—

"I'll protect you, too," came the queen's murmur, frosty gaze thawing as their eyes met. "You...may not agree with what I might have to do as this war progresses, but…"

No further words were needed. Anna nodded, hoping she was just imagining her hands trembling. If they were, Elsa gave no acknowledgement towards them. Save for, perhaps, the brief kiss she placed against the corner of Anna's mouth.

"But such matters are for another day, yes?" the Queen of Arendelle said, pulling away with a small smile on her lips. "Until then...we'll make the most of the lull before the storm descends. I'm afraid I won't be around much from that point until its conclusion."

Anna's grip tightened slightly. "I don't think that's right."

"Pardon?"

"I don't think it's right," she repeated, voice stronger as her jaw hardened in determination. "For you to do this on your own. I'm your _wife_ now, Elsa. And if what I've seen from Papa and Mama have taught me anything...we do this _together._ " Anna paused, managing a smile of her own. "We Scots are a hardy bunch, in case you've forgotten! I may not have been able to prove it to you yet, but I can handle myself just fine, if needed!"

 _That man...he had taken me by surprise, is all._

Elsa chuckled at her words, and Anna felt a thumb gently rubbing over her knuckles. "If you wish to be on the front lines, I'm afraid I'll have to refuse."

"Tough shit!" Anna shook her head and stared up into Elsa's captivating blue eyes with her own hard set and determined, "I want to be right there next to you no matter where you happen to be on that battlefield. By your side is where I belong, after all, and your words will not change that."

Elsa looked like she was about to protest but Anna cut her off with a threatening gesture of her right hand. "Don't make me slap you again!"

For a moment, Elsa merely stared at her in silence, her expression incredulous. Just as Anna's hand began to falter, the queen's lips curved into small smile once more. "I suppose the Southern Isles will come to fear that dreaded slap of yours," she said softly, bringing a hand up to caress Anna's cheek and brush her thumb against the smattering of freckles there.

Anna pouted. "You can't be on the front lines, you have a kingdom to run."

"There's no helping it, beautiful," Elsa sighed, and Anna took her hand in hers. "You will have to take control in the meantime."

This wasn't fair… to have her wife leave her the instant they'd gotten closer together. Anna knew that Elsa was tougher than steel and she wouldn't get a scratch on her flawlessly pale skin with just arrows and swords raining down upon her. But what was this feeling? Fear? Or was it… anger? If Anna had known there would be a war soon… she wouldn't have agreed to marry. And in her mind, bad assumptions filled her up.

Her pout faltered into a somber expression. "What if… What will happen if you—"

"Nothing will happen to me," Elsa cut her off.

"You don't know that… just because you have ice powers doesn't mean—"

The blonde chuckled. "Are you worried, my queen?"

Anna looked around them to see townspeople going back to their work. "We all are." She sighed, and caressed her wife's pale cheek with the back of her fingers. "What will we do without you…?"

This time, Elsa didn't let out a laugh and she knew, Anna was being serious with those eyes glistening with… were they tears? They hadn't known each other for a week… and it looked as if they'd been married for so long. So in love…

And Anna knew that inside that cold, cold heart, something warm lingered there. As if Elsa was holding herself back from happiness… because it was something that'd hurt her and other people around them… Anna stared longingly and she pitied how exhausted the queen looked. Dark circles blending terribly with her pale skin, way too skinny, glazed blue eyes…

People looked up to this woman? Yes, Elsa was flawless to others but… looking up close, Anna felt her stomach churn at how… how sick and tired her wife was. She wished to bring some colors back to Elsa.

"You'll make me proud," the queen whispered. The warm afternoon wind blew gently through the town, birds chirping through the air, and the townspeople were as lively as always. The couple had gone quiet and nothing could disturb them. Perhaps… their love, if it ever existed. "You'll be the greatest queen anyone will ever wish for. I can see it in your eyes…" She felt Elsa's fingers caress below her eye. "You have a lot of love inside of you, unlike me."

"Elsa…"

"If I can't avoid… death, remember that you are…" She swallowed and she knew, she couldn't avoid seeing her wife cry. Tears were hanging desperately from the corner of Anna's eyes. But she was strong. "Remember that you are the woman of my dreams. But I promise you, nothing will happen to me and I will always be beside you."

"Promise?"

Despite her voice choking and her nose sniffling, Anna held out her pinky. It seemed to surprise Elsa. She'd not seen Anna looking so adorable before, with her cheeks flushed and eyebrows scrunched together to hold herself together. It brought out a smile and a pinky that hooked around Anna's.

"I promise."

With that, Anna had a relieved grin running across her face. She leaned in to kiss the woman's cheek, knowing that Elsa was someone who would never break such a promise. "Come on now, let's finish our date."

* * *

 _Contributors this time: Iamrottingbitch, The-Wandering-Quill, Pankite, Cyrianu, Nojamhere, Turtle, Mad-Frozen, CanITellUsmthin, Jessica-X, Winterssummer._

 _Thank you for everyone's participation and hardwork!_


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